Veil of Shadows ๋࣭⭑⚝ Dick Grayson

7 ๋࣭⭑⚝ Mature

"Thank you!" she offered the cab driver a quick smile, handing him a generous tip before sliding out of the vehicle and hauling two large bags of groceries.

She glanced up at the tall building and groaned, realizing she'd have to climb seven flights of stairs since the elevator had conveniently broken down.

"Cooking again? Our stomachs are going to be upset when you leave."

The brunette chuckled and turned to see Hank walking toward her with a smile, hands buried in his pockets.

"What are you doing out here at this hour?"

"Just a nice long walk. Needed to get out of that place," he grumbled with a sigh.

"I get it. I'm not exactly thrilled to have him around, either," she bit her lip.

"Then why stay for him?"

"It's not for him, it's for Rachel. I have a feeling he's going to pull something..." she mumbled the last part quietly.

Hank nodded slowly. "Let me help you with the bags-" he paused, noticing what was inside. "You're making Ravioli del Plin?"

Jules laughed at his sudden excitement. "Another one of my aunt's famous recipes."

"You're the only good thing about Dick being here," he said with gratitude.

The two ascended the stairs at a brisk pace.

"Dawn wanted you to have something healthy, so as an appetizer, we're having Carpaccio di Vendure."

"By healthy, you mean..."

"There's still meat, Hank, don't worry," she giggled softly, leaning back to use her free hand to open the door.

Hank handed her the groceries. The pair glanced up to see an interesting scene unfolding in front of them.

The tension in the air was palpable as they locked eyes with Dick and Dawn sitting across from each other at the dining room table, his hand over hers.

"Well, isn't this cozy..." Hank muttered, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

The two widened their eyes, and Dick quickly removed his hand, releasing a short breath from his nose.

His eyes briefly met the brunette’s, her brows furrowed and a slight frown on her lips. She broke eye contact and walked off to put the groceries away, not wanting to be part of whatever drama was about to unfold.

"Hey," Dawn began softly, pushing her chair slightly away from Dick's.

"Just like the old days," Hank remarked lowly as he approached them.

"We were just talking things through, okay?" the detective tried to reason.

"Come and go... Take what you want."

"Hank." The blonde stood up, trying to place a hand on his chest to calm him down.

"Don't touch me," he muttered, pushing her hand away.

This made Dick jump out of his chair and, grabbing Hank's shoulder, lightly shoved him back.

"Stop."

Jules immediately rose to her feet when she heard Rachel coming out of her room. She grabbed her arm, trying to pull her back as the two men began shoving each other.

"Don't you ever touch my girl!" Hank yelled at him.

He charged forward and struck Dick on the shoulder, trying to push him back, only for Dick to grab his collar and slam him against the wall.