Lost Stars

Chapter Fifteen

-Dick's POV-

I typed on my computer like a mad man. I wrote down every note, every scrap of information, and every tid-bit I had collected on Red Hood. He had consumed me. I was just like Bruce. The last time I saw Bruce, he was just as busy as I was. Sure, we both went on patrol, but we were only looking for one person.

I still felt like Bruce had something he wasn't telling me. I was used to his silent treatment. Although Bruce constantly surrounded himself with Robins, he never really worked with us. Batman worked alone. Through and through.

I scoured through my entire research, but nothing came up. I was completely lost.

"Ugh!" I shouted, sweeping across my cluttered table with my forearm in rage. My laptop clanged to the ground and papers went everywhere. I sat down angrily in my chair, letting my head fall into my hands. My fingers clutched my hair as it hung down in front of my face.

"Jesus Dick," Barbara's unmistakable voice called out. I didn't bother looking up. I felt a twinge of embarrassment at the unmistakable mess littering the small apartment I was renting. It was even smaller than my Bludhaven loft. I kind of liked it. It was homey.

Barbara ran her hand down my back. I shrugged her arm off. She grasped me roughly by the shoulder and yanked me around. I looked up from my stringy, black hair.

"Dick, you're doing it again," she sounded generally worried, "Just like when Athena left, you're obsessing over a criminal. You need to get yourself out before you are consumed." Barbara grabbed my face between my hands. I smiled up at her and nodded.

"You're right. I'm sorry," I stood up and gathered her in my arms. Her perfectly shaped body fit in with mine like a puzzle piece.

When I finally put her down, she ran her fingers through my hair and laughed. "You really need a trim, babe," Barbs pulled out a strand of hair and showed the length of it to me. My hair had grown past my neck.

"I don't know, I kind of like the change," I smirked, grabbing a hair tie off of the now empty table. I tucked my hair up into a bun. "You like?"

She shook her head and giggled. "You're a doofus."

I fluffed the bun and flipped a strand hair out of my eye. She backed up and rolled her eyes. Creeping forward slowly, I crouched down low and opened my arms. "Don't girls like the man bun thing?" I teased. Barbara shook her head.

"Your hair looks greasy and gross, hobo," Barbara backed up a little bit. I ran forward and grabbed her hips, wrapping my arms tightly around her waist. She laughed and traced my veins with her fingers.

"Okay, get up, buddy. You're going to take a shower," Barbara ordered.

"Nooooo," I whined, still clutching her. She half wobbled half skipped to the bathroom, carrying me with her. "How did you even find me?"

"Well," Barbara peeled me off of her and began undressing me like a child, "When you said you were going to Gotham, I went to go look for you. You weren't hard to find, considering I work at Wayne Enterprises."

Her answer was so vague, I considered thinking about just how much digging she must've done. In almost every other situation, a guy would be scared at how much of a stalker his girlfriend is. However, I was dating Batgirl. There was no such thing as a stalker to me.

Barbara tossed my t shirt and sweatpants into a corner by the toilet. I glanced down at my bare-naked self, and then back up at Barbara. "You know, this would be easier if maybe I wasn't alone," I wiggled an eyebrow and grabbed the hem of her shirt. I pulled it off as she shimmied out of her jeans. Her red hair contrasted with her pale skin.