Disclaimer: I own nothing...
Oneshots and drabbles between Richard Grayson and Rachael Roth. Are they lovers or really good friends? You tell me!
This chapter was inspired by Vienna Teng's Recessional, and I would recommend people listen to it while reading this fic. ^_~
P.P.S. I've updated this particular chapter 14 times and for some reason, it's not updating... CURSES!
Reading Between the Lines
-LMG
Recessional
Vienna Teng
"It's so beautiful here," she says,
"This moment now and this moment, now."
And I never thought I would find her here:
Flannel and satin, my four walls transformed.
But she's looking at me, straight to center,
No room at all for any other thought.
And I know I don't want this, oh, I swear I don't want this.
There's a reason not to want this but I forgot.
In the terminal she sleeps on my shoulder,
Hair falling forward, mouth all askew.
Fluorescent announcements beat their wings overhead:
"Passengers missing, we're looking for you."
And she dreams through the noise, her weight against me,
Face pressed into the corduroy grooves.
Maybe it means nothing, maybe it means nothing,
Maybe it means nothing, but I'm afraid to move.
And the words: they're everything and nothing.
I want to search for her in the offhand remarks.
Who are you, taking coffee, no sugar?
Who are you, echoing street signs?
Who are you, the stranger in the shell of a lover,
Dark curtains drawn by the passage of time?
Oh, words, like rain, how sweet the sound.
"Well anyway," she says, "I'll see you around..."
It was official, Dick Grayson hated taking the Metro. They were all packed in together like sardines in a can. Dick stood up and placed his suitcase on the floor between his legs. He had just given his seat to an elderly woman, she thanked him graciously and sat down.
The train jutted to a stop. He quickly reached for the metal bar above him, just to keep from falling and accidently grabbed someone's hand in the process.
"Hey! Watch it!" said a voice next to him. He turned his head. The voice belonged to an attractive blonde in a black dress suit with dark glasses, red lips and a tight little bun in the back of her head.
She glared at him.
He smiled apologetically, "Sorry… "
She just frowned rolled her eyes and moved away from him mumbling something about perverts on the train.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but he didn't reply.
Cool it Dick, you've dealt with worse before…
The doors opened and a handful of people poured out of the train car including the attractive blonde who gave him the dirtiest look she could muster before stepping off the car.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Just as soon as they stepped off the train, more people poured in. Twice as many as the ones who'd just left.
Someone stepped on his foot. Dick swore mentally. He'd just sprained his toe after taking out Killer Croc with a glide kick. It was healing, but not quick enough.
A pudgy bald man, Dick guessed somewhere around 50 and elbowed his way past him, bumping into a bruised rib. He bit his lip and glared at the man.
He hated the metro… and yet, why did he insist on taking it to work knowing the punishment and torture he'd have to endure?
Damian once asked him the same thing.
"You can afford to drive into the city, hell, get Alfred to take you… I for the life of me don't get why you wanna subjugate yourself to that kinda routine torture… I mean how can you deal with all those morons and the smells?" The young Wayne curled his lip in disgust.
"I mean what? Being Batman and dealing with the freaks of Gotham city ain't enough for ya? Or is that how you get off these days?" he teased.
Dick just shook his head at the boy.
Damian didn't understand… and in a way he pitied him, because Damian probably never would.
He didn't have to take the metro to work… he knew he had options.. but the truth was… taking the metro to work made him feel human. He felt like a part of the human race again… like himself…
Bruce had allowed himself to be taken over by the bat.
He saw Bruce's struggle, his inner turmoil. The man proved he was Batman… through and through… and Bruce Wayne… became the costume…
Dick knew how much that effected his mentor's life…and his relationships and he promised himself that he wouldn't do the same.
He wouldn't let the Bat consume his identity… like Bruce had done…
Dick Grayson was not a costume…
"Next stop, 15th street, Next stop 15th street…." the automated voice repeated over the loudspeaker.
That's me…
He picked up his suitcase off the floor and held onto the metal grip above his head.
The train came to a stop and Dick quickly rushed out the door with the rest of the herd.
As soon as the train left, another one came, on the other side of the rail.
Dick put down his suitcase to straighten his tie.
Suddenly he felt an old familiar presence as the train on the other side of the tracks rolled away.
Like he wasn't alone... inside his mind....
There was a warm.. fuzzy feeling that traveled from the base of his skull to the center of his being...
He pauses… his hands slowly falling to his side. He doesn't even turn around… he closes his eyes and feels…. as if soaking it in… and he knows it's her…
He could feel her looking directly at him.
He wondered what he looked like to her… through her eyes.
Older perhaps?
He pondered…
Does she look the same? Like she did all those years ago?
Was she still the same person? Or has she changed as well?
He knew… She was studying him…
Trying to guess what he looked like… without his mask…
It had been a game… with all of them… try and guess what Robin looked like.. under that mask…
They had tried to ambush him any way possible. He had become clever and resourceful with his mask, because of their tenacity.
They even ambushed him in his sleep once… they'd held him down and tried to rip it off his face.
And she was there.
"He's down!"
"Take the mask off… "
"Do it… "
Their voices echoed around him…
When she approached him, he smiled at her.
"You too?" He asked her.
He was surprised… he didn't think she was interested in finding out about the man behind the mask… she'd never said anything to him about it before… and they had been so close…
She looked at him… her eyes seem to be boring into his.
She pauses for a moment.
"Come on… do it already.. what are you waiting for?" They say. "We don't got all day!"
She blinks and slowly she reaches for the mask.
There is a collective gasp and for a moment no one dares utter a sound or breathe.
He can feel her cool delicate fingers brush the edge of his mask, slow and almost intimate against his cheek, and he wonders why at that particular moment, his heart chose to skip a few beats.
His chest rises and falls in anticipation waiting for her to peel away the last piece of his costume; will she betray him?
She looks at his face as she grips onto his mask she could feel the mask giving way beneath her fingers..
And he slightly dips his head forward it was such a small movement meant for her eyes only…
It was alright… because it was her…
And suddenly she lets go of the mask without a sound she backs away from his prone form as their teammates jeered at her and teased and berated her for retreating.
"After all this had been her idea!" They said.
He only caught a bit of her face before she disappeared behind the barraging bodies of their friends and co-workers as they piled upon him, attempting to remove the mask…
She had given him a slight nod, and a small smile.
And then she was gone.
Someone bumped into his arm hard causing him to lurch forward a little. "Get outta the way moron!" And just like that, he was back in Gotham City
He turns his head to the right slightly.
And suddenly she calls to him.
"Dick… Dick Grayson…"
He sucks in his breath, forgetting the smell and the trash in the subway…
She sounded like herself, yet, slightly more… feminine… and older… He closes his eyes opens them picks up his suitcase and turns towards her voice.
And smiled….
He just couldn't help himself…
She had been behind him… on the other side of the tracks watching this whole time… observing. She looked more mature… she filled out quite nicely. She certainly wasn't the skinny, short, girl he'd remembered.
Her hair was longer now, and layered.
Her eyes now had a bit of a twinkle to them.
She wore a knitted beret beanie cap, a white pleated coat with jeans a scarf and midcalf boots. A white printed messenger bag hung across her chest diagonally.
He could tell she was more relaxed… as if she was finally comfortable to be in her own skin…
"Rae… "He called out to her.. using his pet name for her. "It's been a while.."
"Too long." she told him.
"How are you?"
"I've been well… You?" She returned.
"I'm … alright…" he lied half expecting her to call him on his bull, like she used to.
She nodded. "I see."
It was a mature response. She knew something was up… but she wasn't going to push him on the subject matter.
"Been pretty busy lately though…" he said lifting up his suitcase.
"You looked like you were in a hurry… " she agreed.
"So… what are you doing in Gotham?" He asked curious, " I don't suppose you'd come all this way just to check up on me?"
"Hmmm," she laughed, "I see your ego's still intact… and you haven't lost your boyish charm? Do women still fall for that?"
"I see you haven't lost your edge," he countered.
She closed her purple eyes and nodded. She never stopped smiling, he noticed… she'd been smiling throughout their conversation…
Had she been smiling when she got off the train? When she studied him from behind? He didn't know why he suddenly thought of that… but… he found himself thiking about her smile… for no reason…
"I'm here…" she said, bringing him out of his reverie, "… I'm here for a potential client.." she told him, hoping he'd understand the hidden meaning and not question her any more.. or at least not at the train station.
"Ahhh… you're still in the business?" He asked
"Aren't you?" she asked almost in a teasing manner; her index finger lightly tapped the side of her face near her eyes.
"Touche." he told her, he got it.
She continued, "I do some occasional freelancing… every now and again… when I have time… "
He smiled wryly.
Strange…
There they were two old friends standing on opposite sides of the tracks shouting pleasantries at one another … with a handful of people waiting for their next ride… granted no one seemed to care, or was interested in their conversation… but it'd been a while since he last talked to her. He wanted a more private setting, where they could indulge their lives and secrets. Dive more into details
He wanted to find out more about her. what was going on in her life.. where she'd been.. what direction she'd gone after they'd disbanded the team…but more than anything, he wanted to leap over the tracks and give her a hug… too many witnesses…
A part of him… a more selfish, arrogant side of him guessed and even perhaps longed for it.. for her purpose… her reason for being in Gotham… was because she'd come looking for him. He laughed at himself… Get real…
It wasn't like her…
It just wasn't…
But then how would he know?
He hadn't spoken to her, or contacted her in years…
He could go over to the other side?
Make some time to talk to her… Hell, he was his own boss… the owner of Wayne Enterprise… He could afford to be late to work, because he didn't know how long she was going to be here… in gotham… in his life… again… out the next…
And what was he going to do?
Just let her walk out?
Damn it... stop thinking about it Dick... and just do something...
He was a thinker..
"You think too much.." she once told him…
"You just think think think,….."
"You never just do…"
"And then when you do decide to do something…"
"It's too late…"
"And the moment's gone… "
"What a waste…"
"It's almost a shame… isn't it?"
But when it came time for action…
He didn't move…
He remained as if glued to the spot.
Even knowing what he had known….
They stood there, almost awkwardly. It was as if they'd traded places. She was relaxed and carefree, and he was uncertain with the direction his life had taken him.
"It was good to see you again Dick… I'm glad you're doing well for yourself…"
Seeing as how they had nothing else more to say to each other, she turned halfway towards the stairs, the other half, frozen her foot pointing in his direction.
"I'll see you around.. maybe.. "
"Oh… ok… "came his soft reply.
She turned her back to him and took a few steps before hearing him call out to her.
"We should get together….perhaps later?" he threw out at her.
Her lips curved upwards. She turned to look at him.
"Perhaps… "she smiled prettily at him… so unlike her… the Raven he remembered… or the Raven he'd longed to see? All those years ago…the one that he knew existed under the cool, sarcastic exterior…
His heart beat twice just then.
"Rachael... " he said her name almost in a whisper.
Her eyes widened… perhaps surprised by the way he said her name… whispered it… like a long lost lover…
The train came then… blocking her from his view.
He walked alongside the train hoping to catch a glimpse of her through the windows before she left. He couldn't see her too many people were filing out of the cars and in.. As soon as he caught sight of a bit of her white coat the second train came on the other side completely obscuring her from him now.
He sighed pinching the bridge of his nose.
Frustrated.
She looked like she was in a hurry… she wouldn't have waited… she's probably gone by now…
He didn't know how much he missed her, until she showed up in his life again… Funny how life was like that… Because it always seemed to be that way… for the two of them… missed chances… missed opportunities…
Too late… too late… the words reverberated through his mind.
It would have been nice to have talked to her a bit longer… he would have really liked that…
He turned with his suitcase in hand and walked up the stairs along with the remaining train crowd.
But contrary to his belief, Raven had stood there… for a few extra minutes..
She had known that he'd be gone… by the time the second train left…
Yet…
She still waited... hoping that perhaps he's stayed just a little longer so that she could see him before he left.. and disappeared from her life, for another 10 years or so...
And when the train finally roared away from sight, she looked across the way… to the spot where she last saw him
He was gone…
Just like that…
It was always that way with the two of them...
And she always had to be the last one… to leave..
Raven smiled almost bitterly and to herself..
She shouldn't be surprised but she was…
Even after all these years…
He was still the same…
And she was still the same…
Everything had changed… and yet… it hadn't…
Funny how life worked sometimes…
Raven sighed, turned and walked towards the stairs leading out to the light and the city.