Save Your Sin || Dick Grayson [2]

08| The Killing Joke

***

I stood with Dick a block away from the banquet hall that Sal Maroni was throwing his little birthday party. After our little trip to the GCPD I found myself in a sour mood as I listened to Dick once again go over the plan. If there was one thing that I learned over the years was that nothing ever went according to the plan.

"May I?" Dick suddenly questioned snapping me out of my thoughts. He held up recording device that I was going to wear. Wordlessly I turned around moving my hair to the side and I stood still as he unzipped the back of my dress securing the recording device. I felt as his fingers brushed against my skin, but my mind was somewhere else entirely that the gesture didn't fully register in my mind. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I replied dismissively as he zipped my dress again and I adjusted the strap of my dress eager to get this night over with. With that pardon I was free to walk to the streets without any worry of being chased for my crimes, though it didn't change that fact that I would always be seen as a criminal. Not that it really mattered to me anyway as this last year I was able to live rather normally, that is until I bumped into Dick again.

"That face isn't nothing." He stated as he helped me into my coat, trying to search my eyes for an answer. Though he should have learned by now that I never really allowed my eyes to reveal anything, maybe if there was one thing I mastered from Bruce it was that. But in a city like Gotham and with the people I surrounded myself with, not revealing your true emotions was almost a survival tool. "And not to mention the fact that I just unzipped your dress and you failed to make some seductive comment."

"Maybe I was just busy thinking about all the things we can do once this over." I told him as I let a smile play on my lips pulling him closer by his tie, but he continued look at me sternly. Usually that would have been enough for him to drop the subject, maybe I was losing my touch. Clearly I have been away from Gotham for too long. With a sigh I moved away from him feeling that maybe I did need to get this off my chest to focus completely on what I was just about to do. "I suppose I didn't consider that fact that I would be going back to Arkham if I fail in getting your precious confession."

"You won't." He assured me quickly, almost like the idea itself was ridiculous. Maybe it was, what I had to do was simple and I had no doubt I would be able to do it successfully. Yet, any memories of Arkham tended to pull me into a darker place. Not so much the experience of being within those highly secured four wall, but my actions that drive Bruce to finally lock me up.

"I could."

He took a step closer certainty shinning bright in his eyes, and for a moment I couldn't believe that at some point I thought he underestimated me. "You're not going back to Arkham Chey."

I felt a small smile touch my lips, this one surprisingly genuine and not the practiced one that I tended to use. "Are you telling me that you'll let me slip, if I don't get your confession?"

"I've done it before." He replied, and it was true. Dick has let me escape too many times to count and I didn't doubt that he would let me go if it came to that. Even if I was certain it wasn't going to come to that. Taking another step towards me Dick looked at me with the same intensity as the loft, reminding me of how we were interrupted only a couple hours ago. We were only inches apart and it seemed like we were always being pulled together this way, each time with an increasing intensity. "Chey I really want to..."

Without really thinking I leaned forward capturing his lips in mine for the slightest of moments. The kiss was brief, criminally so. He didn't have a chance to react if he wanted to because I had already pulled away and stepping into onto the street heading towards the banquet hall. Even the slightest brush of his lips caused me to lose focus and that was why I had to pull away.  And I couldn't have my mind clouded over with thoughts of him, even that slight touch was a mistake.