|| mobile! ||
|| mobile! ||
The wetness that suddenly appeared on his face made tears begin to well in his own eyes, and he broke off the kiss slowly, looking down at his feet. He couldn’t bring himself to meet her eyes, and so he just stood there and shook his head.“Nicole, I know he may have gotten the better of you, but— I—” A frustrated sigh was all he let out, then paused for a few moments. “I can’t let this happen again.”
His brows furrowed, but he wouldn’t look at her. Instead, his gaze moved off to the side, lips sent in a line. “If it was ‘just the start’, maybe he needs someone to go out and finish it. Maybe that someone is me. Nic, I’m not going to let whoever did this to you do it again. I’ll get Batman— I’ll get into a costume myself, even, b-but I am n-not…” Voice faltering, he slowed down his rant, just sighing in frustration. “This guy deserves my great-grandfather after him for what he’s done to you…”
“Dick…” She put her fingers under his chin, the way he’d done with her so many times before, “Dick…I love you. I’m not putting you in the hospital again. I’m not gonna worry your parents anymore. I got a friend that might be able to help, but…” She paused, biting her lip, “I just don’t want you involved in this. This guy is like Joker, doesn’t give a damn about anything. That’s someone you don’t need to see at all.”
Nicole didn’t like what she was hearing, but she kept it together (mostly) as she looked at him, “Please….for me? I’ve got this. I just…” She gazed behind her subconsciously, “I just need a little time…”
No.
No, she was so not pulling that card on him. He was only human, yes, but he could still keep her safe. The time with the Talon, the fire that had happened at the circus, Zucco kidnapping him and using him for a personal chew-toy… That was life. Life happened. And it hurt; it was always going to hurt.
But she didn’t need to get the brunt of it. Not all of the pain needed to go her way.
His eyes shone from their wetness and he reached a hand up, almost going to push hers away from his chin. But he just settled it back down by his side and resolved to pull his head away, blinking down at the ground.
“I-I know. A-a-and I love you, t-too, Nic. But— B-but seeing you like this? I just…— I-It’s too much.” He paused and then looked back up at her, swallowing and taking a shaky breath. “Th-there is so much pain— I know this, y— you— you know this. B-But I just… I-I don’t know how— h-how not to see it. B-because I-I see—… everything.” The acrobat shook his head, running a hand through his hair and then turning away, arms folding over his chest. “A-and I can’t do… anything. I. Can’t. Do. Anything… Nic— I-It’s driving me crazy.”
That struck a nerve. A big one.
She was already emotional from being under this much stress, but this. That was the last straw.
She grabbed him by his hoodie, and pulled him close to her, hearing a startled yelp from him but not caring, her eyes burning with a renewed determination. “Let’s get one thing straight. Right now. You have no damn clue how damn helpful you are to me. You’re probably the reason I’m still alive right now. Before you came I was a mess. My father was murdered, I was thrown from my home, and had absolutely no one to lean on because everyone thought i was a damn freak. And….and…”
As she heard her own words, she eased up her grip, her expression softening. She then realized her position and quickly let go, taking a step back. Hot tears were threatening to boil over in her eyes as she quickly turned away, her back to him as she covered her face with a hand.
“…I can’t lose you again…”
His level of confusion rose as she turned her back to him, the pain clear in her voice. What had happened? A sacrifice? To keep him safe? Surely this wasn’t the Court again. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t—…Nothing…
There was nothing there. Her left wing had been completely torn off, and all the skin surrounding it was a bruised black and blue. He’d never seen her in such rough shape; never seen her so scared and hurt except for when the Talon had attacked him.
And he wanted to be mad- to be furious. At her for sacrificing that for him; at the person who did this to her. But he couldn’t. Not when she was probably in so much physical and emotional pain. No, he’d keep his emotions in check.
For now.
Swallowing hard, he turned her around to face him again and gave her a light, but tender kiss. His hand found her right wing, stroking the feathers like she loved. “My pretty bird… E-everything’s gonna be okay. I-I swear, alright? Even if I have to go out there myself and protect you, I-I am n— not letting this happen again.”
She let him turn her, and felt his lips touch hers in the kiss, and she (For the first time, mind you.), let the tears fall down her face despite herself. She felt his hands go to her wing as she was hugged again.
“…I know. But I don’t want you hurt either…and you didn’t let it happen. I did. The guy got the better of me. I wasn’t prepared for what he had, but he…he kinda threw me for a loop.”
She then looked at Dick sternly, her hands going to his shoulders, “Dick, don’t you dare go after him. what he did to me was just the start. You’ll be next if you go, and you won’t lose a wing! You’ll lose your life!”
The wetness that suddenly appeared on his face made tears begin to well in his own eyes, and he broke off the kiss slowly, looking down at his feet. He couldn’t bring himself to meet her eyes, and so he just stood there and shook his head.
“Nicole, I know he may have gotten the better of you, but— I—” A frustrated sigh was all he let out, then paused for a few moments. “I can’t let this happen again.”
His brows furrowed, but he wouldn’t look at her. Instead, his gaze moved off to the side, lips sent in a line. “If it was ‘just the start’, maybe he needs someone to go out and finish it. Maybe that someone is me. Nic, I’m not going to let whoever did this to you do it again. I’ll get Batman— I’ll get into a costume myself, even, b-but I am n-not…” Voice faltering, he slowed down his rant, just sighing in frustration. “This guy deserves my great-grandfather after him for what he’s done to you…”
“Dick…” She put her fingers under his chin, the way he’d done with her so many times before, “Dick…I love you. I’m not putting you in the hospital again. I’m not gonna worry your parents anymore. I got a friend that might be able to help, but…” She paused, biting her lip, “I just don’t want you involved in this. This guy is like Joker, doesn’t give a damn about anything. That’s someone you don’t need to see at all.”
Nicole didn’t like what she was hearing, but she kept it together (mostly) as she looked at him, “Please….for me? I’ve got this. I just…” She gazed behind her subconsciously, “I just need a little time…”
Another great moment from RoJ
I could have sworn he said “Boba Fett? Boba Fett? Where?”
that’s what I got from it…
She just shook her head, letting out a breath through her nose as she finally looked at him, tears in her eyes. “A sacrifice…to keep you safe…” She whispered. She let him go, and slowly turned around, her back to him. Then slowly, slowly, took off her jacket.
Nothing.
Nothing was left of her left wing but a bruise where the joint had once been, her right wing folded neatly yet limply against her back, missing it’s companion.
His level of confusion rose as she turned her back to him, the pain clear in her voice. What had happened? A sacrifice? To keep him safe? Surely this wasn’t the Court again. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t—
…Nothing…
There was nothing there. Her left wing had been completely torn off, and all the skin surrounding it was a bruised black and blue. He’d never seen her in such rough shape; never seen her so scared and hurt except for when the Talon had attacked him.
And he wanted to be mad- to be furious. At her for sacrificing that for him; at the person who did this to her. But he couldn’t. Not when she was probably in so much physical and emotional pain. No, he’d keep his emotions in check.
For now.
Swallowing hard, he turned her around to face him again and gave her a light, but tender kiss. His hand found her right wing, stroking the feathers like she loved. “My pretty bird… E-everything’s gonna be okay. I-I swear, alright? Even if I have to go out there myself and protect you, I-I am n— not letting this happen again.”
She let him turn her, and felt his lips touch hers in the kiss, and she (For the first time, mind you.), let the tears fall down her face despite herself. She felt his hands go to her wing as she was hugged again.
“…I know. But I don’t want you hurt either…and you didn’t let it happen. I did. The guy got the better of me. I wasn’t prepared for what he had, but he…he kinda threw me for a loop.”
She then looked at Dick sternly, her hands going to his shoulders, “Dick, don’t you dare go after him. what he did to me was just the start. You’ll be next if you go, and you won’t lose a wing! You’ll lose your life!”
“Well…I’m only humble.” She replied, her hands going around his waist to pull him even closer, she’d missed him so much…
“Hey, I know.” Her arms wrapped around him tighter, and so did his. He couldn’t believe how much he’d missed her. It was insane. “Oh, Niccy… I love you so much.”
When she felt his grip tighten around her back, the bumps he’d normally feel when he’d hug her was now only one, on the right side. The left side flat. She frowned a tad, thinking, and not quite meeting his eyes.
And…here we go…
His hands moved up and down her back, but then stopped, his brows furrowing in not only confusion, but worry. There should have been two bumps there- both of her wings could be felt under her clothing, but the one on her left…
…it was gone.
He pulled back from her, hands on her arms as he looked her up and down. She wasn’t meeting his eyes, wasn’t looking at him. This wasn’t good. “Nic— Niccy—? What happened to your wings?” Dick gave her upper arms a light squeeze, leaning in close to her, his eyes filled with concern. “Nic, please, what happened?”
She just shook her head, letting out a breath through her nose as she finally looked at him, tears in her eyes. “A sacrifice…to keep you safe…” She whispered. She let him go, and slowly turned around, her back to him. Then slowly, slowly, took off her jacket.
Nothing.
Nothing was left of her left wing but a bruise where the joint had once been, her right wing folded neatly yet limply against her back, missing it’s companion.
“Positive.” She pulled him closer, their foreheads touching and she smiled, closing her eyes and sighing.
A light snicker escaped him the closer she drew him. “…I can’t believe you wonder why I love you.” Dick lifted his head to peck her forehead. “Silly bird.”
“Well…I’m only humble.” She replied, her hands going around his waist to pull him even closer, she’d missed him so much…
“Hey, I know.” Her arms wrapped around him tighter, and so did his. He couldn’t believe how much he’d missed her. It was insane. “Oh, Niccy… I love you so much.”
When she felt his grip tighten around her back, the bumps he’d normally feel when he’d hug her was now only one, on the right side. The left side flat. She frowned a tad, thinking, and not quite meeting his eyes.
And…here we go…
[YOU’D BETTER BE.]|| *curls up and cries* ||
[AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH]
|| I’M SORRY ||
She tensed up, hearing the familiar voice and looking over at him. Still, she smiled a little at him, happy to see him all together.
“Hey, Tim. How’re you?”
“Fine.”
Nicole flew over Jump City, hood up, in uniform, her large, powerful wings keeping her thousands of feet off the ground. Sarc was last spotted at the edge of Jump, but all that was there was the old theme park, and nobody was a big fan of that place. The rides were old, rusty, scary. It was a place there it looked like a horror movie took place.
And Nicole wasn’t as much of a fan as the next guy.
