Making Waves

Chapter 20

"Isn't that your man?" Brenda commented, looking out the window.

Percy furrowed her brow, following her eyes. Why would Nightwing be—

Her heart dropped.

It wasn't Nightwing. It was Dick, striding down the sidewalk with purpose, clutching something tightly in his hand. All of the weight that had collected in her stomach disappeared, leaving Percy feeling feather-light all over again.

How could she forget about him?

After parting ways outside of city hall to change into her suit, she had almost completely pushed him out of her mind. And maybe she had been a little occupied with the fight and then the unconsciousness, but how could she have not thought of him at all since then?

"You're not going to say hi?" Brenda hummed.

Percy had gotten so caught up with making sure Nightwing knew she was alive that she hadn't even thought to text to check in on Dick. She wondered how he was doing after the fight. He had disappeared around the corner now, but his posture had looked somewhat agitated.

For a moment she considered getting up and going after him, but then Percy folded in on herself with guilt. Dick didn't deserve to be an afterthought. And if he hadn't reached out to her either, maybe it was better this way.

"I shouldn't," she muttered, into her straw.

She took a long sip, trying to wash down the lump in her throat as Brenda looked on, slightly confused, but didn't push. Percy felt her communicator suddenly buzz with a few messages, and she glanced down at it, feeling her mood instantly lift at the prospect of seeing Nightwing, even if just to get her sword back.

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Dick had gotten used to Perseus being a few minutes late for many of their rendezvous, but this time, she was a little early. The moment she came up over the edge of the building, he felt his churning stomach settle with a sigh.

She was a vision in the afternoon sun, light gleaming off her deeply tanned skin, as she crossed the rooftop with a smile. Dick greeted her with a tight hug that she was already holding her arms out for, before reminding himself to pull back before he made it weird.

It was a little terrifying, just how comfortable he had gotten with her in a few short months. It made sense given his personality and hers, but the realization left Dick a little breathless every time his brain picked up on something they did that he couldn't see himself doing with anyone else.

Dick picked up the sword beside him and handed it over before the silence became charged. The eyes of her mask widened, and he wished he could see the way her eyes lit up, as she took it, running her fingers over the flat of the blade.

"I wanted to say thank you, for what you said to Robin," Dick said softly, "He's had some trouble adjusting after he came to us, but I think you pointing out his progress really helped."

Perseus gazed into the bronze for a moment. Dick remembered how he had done the same, for hours, hoping that he would blink and see Perseus staring back instead.

She looked up, and his wish was granted. Five or six days late, but it didn't matter.

"I see some of myself in him," she admitted, "I get what it's like to struggle with being your own person, after spending so much time doing other people's bidding."

Dick felt his breath catch. What was it that she had said, about the people in her family using their kids to solve their problems?

"When he found us, his previous family had trained him to kill," he said slowly, "Is—was that how you were raised?"