Warrior | Dick Grayson ¹

|19| 𝙾𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜 ✔︎

The two teenagers were sitting on the roof of the Queens' Mansion, their legs dangling over the edge as their eyes scanned over the citizens who were doing average mundane tasks.

" What's wrong Dick?" Harper's voice broke the silence that had surrounded the two. He let out a sigh, the weight of the world feeling as if it was crushing him.

" Dawn and I had a falling out" He told her, his shoulders hunched as he stared at the bright lights of Star City. " Oh, what happened?" she frowned, sending him an sympathetic look. He let out a shaky breath.

How do you tell a person that the only reason you started dating someone else was because you are so infatuated with another person you fear rejection and losing that person if they don't return your feelings. Because that exactly how Dick felt. Dick was in love with Harper since the two had started their first patrol around Gotham. Her laugh that sounded like music to his ears, her smile that made his heart skip a beat, the adorable dimple on her cheek, her eyes that shined when she was happy and her heart that was made out of gold. Dick loved everything about her. But she was his best friend, and that's what he always thought he would be.

Dawn ended up dating Dick after she had a falling out with Hank. While Dawn needed a distraction which may not have been ideal, Dick tried to suppress his feelings that he had towards his best friend. This clearly didn't work.

Dawn and Dick had many rough patches when it came to the other two Titans members. It was a sore spot for both crime fighters which lead to many arguments and spats which usually ended with neither of them talking for a while. They didn't always see eye to eye. Dawn started to realise what their relationship really meant. They were using each other to mend their broken hearts. Dawn saw how he never really loved her, more in a sisterly way than how he loved Harper. She saw the way his eyes lit up at the sight of the brunette, or how overprotective he was of her when they were out on missions. Dawn could also see the way Harper looked at Dick, she loved him just as much.

Thus when Dawn confronted him another dispute erupted. many unwanted words were thrown back and forth between the two. Dawn wanting Dick to finally be happy because he wasn't happy with her and they both knew it. But Dick wasn't ready to confront the brunette, not yet at least.

Dick turned towards the brunette, he wanted to tell her how he felt, that Dawn and him continued to live a lie because he was in love with her but be couldn't form the words. They were stuck, refusing to be spoken. Instead he just shook his head. " Guess we just weren't meant to be" he shrugged, mentally stabbing himself for being such a coward.

Harper rested her head on Dick's shoulder while he wrapped his arm around her waist. She felt as if someone had twisted a knife in her heart. She knew it wasn't fair to the both of them but the feelings she harboured weren't a secret to anyone but Dick. They all saw the way she looked at him. The way she would watch the world burn and not let a single flame touch him. But she couldn't do that him or Dawn. Even if they did have their fights. They would work it out like every other couple. It just wasn't for the reasons she was expecting.

" I'm sorry Dick, but you'll figure it out. You both will" She whispered. Dick looked down at the girl in his arms, she was perfect in every way, she had flaws yes, but she was beautiful to him none the less. He didn't deserve someone like Harper in his life, but here she was, a beacon in his world that felt like it was crumbling all around him.

" Have you ever just wanted to leave, get out of this life." He whispered, the thought that has been haunting him for years. " You mean giving up being Robin and Artemis, yeah I have." She said glancing up at him. " But who will protect the city. What we do, we make a difference in people's lives. We save them, give them a second chance. They get to go home to their families because we did good. What we do is important. I can't give that up." Harper told him.

" But what about our lives Harp. Why must we sacrifice everything for them. We go through hell and get nothing but pain and suffering in return. You wake up drenched in sweat from nightmares for crying out loud." He snapped, he was angry, frustrated and tired of this life. He just wanted out, to be normal, to grow old and have a family and not have to worry about dying or having bad guys trying to kill you everyday.

Harper grabbed his hands in hers. " I know but we're making a change. I wish things were different, but this, fighting crime, saving people, it can be rewarding. Plus we get to beat people's asses. " Harper chuckled towards the end. Of course she wanted out. To not have this fear and pressure that she wasn't going to make it back to her family. But being Artemis meant she was helping. That she was making a difference even if she had to go through all the struggles and burdens that came along with it.

Dick nodded, he gave her a rare smile, one that you would only see on his face when he was with the brunette.

The two sat together, not as heroes, not as sidekicks. Just two teenagers trying to find their place in the world. They were children who were forced to grow up too soon. To endure things no child should. They understood each other in a world that did not care.

Now wrapped in each others arms, highlighted by the stars. The two sat in silence, a feeling that they weren't alone in a world where everything seemed to be going against them.

They had each other and for them, that was everything they needed.