Blackbirds

PART 24

Dick raised a hand to shade his eyes from the bright sunlight. From what he could see, the Star City Youth Center was solidly on the way to recovery. Dick felt a pang of guilt. He should have called Ollie before now. Reached out. Something. The right time and place never seemed to come together. Donna's funeral. Garth and Mia's coronation. One week gone. Another week was spent salvaging his apartment after a water pipe broke. And, Dick forced himself to be honest, several days he devoted to sulking like a petulant three year old. Waiting for Ollie to make the first move.

Leave it to Alfred to remind him that, as the Community Outreach Coordinator for Wayne Foundation's Philanthropic Committee, it was Dick's responsibility to deliver charitable contributions. In person. Normally, he loved that part of his job. Today he could think of a few other places he'd rather be. He lingered by the swingset to give Roy and Ollie time to finish their conversation. He didn't have to hear what was being said to guess the inevitable outcome. Ollie's body language was readable a mile away. It would have been better if he yelled. Stormed off. Anything. Anything but turned his back on Roy and walked back to the Center with a resigned silence that seemed so final.

Dick caught up with Roy as he crossed the basketball court.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself."

Roy look good. The experimental skin graft Star Labs used was working well. Three weeks later the archer looked as if he was recovering from an afternoon of too much sun--not second and third degree burns. The graft contained special polymers that acted as built-in sunscreen. He still wore thick gloves to protect his hands. Fortunately, though, the burns on his hands had been superficial. Thanks to Black Canary's quick reaction and Roy's slow one. If he had brought his hands up a second or two sooner...Dick shook the thought off. He couldn't imagine Roy never shooting a bow again.

"I heard the D.E.O. wants Lian."

"Over my dead body."

Dick laughed then quickly sobered. "You're still leaving?"

Roy kicked a patch of loose rocks. "Garth and Mia invited us to Janus.
Said there'll be others like Lian there. Kids. After that--" he shrugged,
"--maybe a couple of weeks at the reservation. Do us both some good."

"He's gonna miss you."

Roy looked over to see Ollie standing in the shadow of the Center's doorway watching them. Sadness turned his normally bright eyes dark.

"He knows where we'll be."

"You don't have to go."

Roy chewed his lip. He looked lost--conflicted in a way Dick hadn't seen since he had kicked his drug habit. "Yeah, man, I do."

"Roy-"

"Lian--" Roy shook his head. "--she's not up to this yet." He blinked back tears. "She has these dreams. Bad ones." He glanced at Dick. "Y'know?"

"I know."

"She never meant--'specially not for Donna--" Roy's voice cracked as he buried his face in his hands.

Wordlessly, Dick pulled his best friend into his arms. They held fast to each other through grief that threatened to overwhelm them both. Silence between friends. Comfortable and forgiving like a favorite pair of well-worn jeans.

Ollie watched with mixed emotions. Envied the easy friendship those two had. Regretted that neither of them had turned to him. Longed for Dick to show him a fraction of the affection he so effortlessly put on public display with Roy. He sighed. Obviously Dick had tracked Roy down to tell him goodbye. The two men walked to Roy's car. Ollie stayed in the doorway. Continued to watch as Roy drove off and disappeared down the street. Hid his surprise as Dick strode back across the Center's basketball court and straight to Ollie.

"What's up?"

Dick unfolded a check from his pocket and held it out to Ollie. He cleared his throat unnecessarily. Ollie caught the flash of amusement in his blue eyes. "On behalf of the Philanthropic Committee of Wayne Foundation in my capacity as the Community Outreach Coordinator for said Foundation, I present you with our donation towards the rebuilding of the Star City Youth Center."

"That must be a bitch to say."

Dick grinned. "It is."

Ollie glanced at the check. Typical Bruce Wayne overcompensation. Still, he couldn't deny that the money would let him make improvements to the Center. He slid the check into his back pocket. Looked at Dick coolly. "Still writin' checks to make things all better?"

Dick flushed at the reminder. "The check's from Bruce. I'm here to work."

Ollie slapped his work gloves against his thigh. "Sure Roy doesn't need more handholding?"

"What--" Dick asked, genuinely puzzled. "--are you jealous?"

"Well, gee--" Ollie tried lightheartedly to play it off "--you never hug me like that in public." And failed miserably.

Dick studied Ollie's face. The hug with Roy really was eating at him. "We're back to that?"

Ollie noticed they were attracting unwanted attention from other volunteers. He entered the maze of ongoing construction without looking back certain that Dick would follow. He did. They stepped over new flooring, under old tarps and made a haphazard path to the pool room. Painter's plastic sealed the space from the dust of the carpentry work on either side. And just as effectively obscured their conversation from strangers.

"You bailed on me. You said we'd talk about it. Fine." Ollie fixed inscrutable sea green eyes on him. "Talk."

"It isn't--" Dick broke off with a sigh. He ran his hand through his hair.
"I'm not just thinking about myself here. If anyone saw us--Nightwing and Green Arrow--then Dick and Ollie--and made the connection--"

"We wear masks."

"Yeah, your beard's a great cover-up, Ollie." Dick couldn't help commenting sarcastically.

"You want me to shave?"

"Actually--" Dick bit back a smile."--the goatee of the gods has kind of grown on me."

"Geez, act like you got a pair and spit it out already." Ollie looked away. "Are we callin' it quits?"

"What do you want me to say, Oliver?"

Ollie tensed. Something in the way he had said his full name.

"You love me?"

Dick's throat tightened with emotion. "I don't know."

Ollie silently gave him points for being honest. Truthfully, he didn't know that he could give Dick a better answer. Dick slid his hand affectionately into the small of Ollie's back. "Maybe it isn't love." His lips whispered across Ollie's nape. "But a warm bed on a cold night--" He tightened his embrace."--it's something."

"What if I don't love you?" Ollie murmured against Dick's skin.

Dick's eyes glowed mischievously. "I'll grow on you."


THE END