Dick had been blind since birth. It wasn't a fact he liked to talk about. It made him feel weak, and useless. So much of his job depended on a skill he didn't have. He never talked about it, and never showed his unusually bright eyes.
Wally was one of the few people to know. He led Dick around new places, made sure he walked loud enough to not scare his beloved, and always did what he could to make Dick's life the most enjoyable.
Dick wore sunglasses whenever they were in public, no matter if they were inside or outside. His eyes had been the cause of bullying many times, and Dick knew many people wouldn't treat him the same if they knew. They weren't going to know.
Recently, there had been many death threats against the eldest son of Bruce Wayne. Bruce had Dick and Wally move back into the Manor, as they had more people watching after Dick. Unfortunately, the Manor had gotten new furniture, and Dick was having to relearn everything.
Bruce was working on contacts that might allow Dick to see. It was a lot of science that should conflict, but worked together. Dick was just excited to be able to see something, to not be as helpless as he thought he was.
The team was coming to protect Dick and the other Waynes, much to the displeasure of Dick. They would have to see their leader in a position where he could barely protect himself. They didn't deserve to see that.
The older members, the ones who had known Dick for years, were saddened to see him this way. When he was Richard Grayson-West, he wasn't confident in himself. He knew he wasn't able to hide his weakness. Everyone knew he was blind. Dick lost a sense of self when he was in civies. Thankfully Bruce was doing something to help.
Dick stayed on the edges at galas. Wally explained that Dick relied on sounds a lot, and the galas were overloading his senses. He stayed as far away from the sound as he could. It helped his nerves.
The night of the gala was when the threats were agreed upon. Windows broke, there were screams, and a gunshot into the air. Wally pulled Dick under the table, hiding under the cloth. Dick burrowed into Wally's body, hands shaking. His ears rang, which made it hard to hear some things.
Wally held Dick close, rubbing circles into his back. There was fighting going on, but by Dick's lack of reaction he could guess that Dick couldn't hear it. Dick had pretty sensitive hearing, so loud noises easily disoriented him.
When the fighting stopped, Wally peeked under the table cloth. The team was standing around the unconscious bodies of the attackers. Wally led Dick out, moving him slowly enough so he could understand what they were doing. "Are you alright?" Wally asked. "Yeah. I'm fine." Dick replied.
The team left the next day, and the couple were allowed to move back to their apartment. Dick was much more comfortable moving around the apartment than the giant Manor. Smaller was better, in his case.
Three weeks later, Bruce was ready to test the contacts. Dick had to close his eyes, the rush of information hitting him all at once. He'd never seen this before. All the bright and vibrant colors, added with shaped he'd never seen before was amazing. "Do they work?" "Well, I'm seeing black hair, red hair, furniture, and colors. I'd say yes." "Then keep those. Happy birthday, son."
