Warning: Here there be slash. If you don't like, don't read, matey's!

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Breakfast

The two young men finally made their way down for breakfast more than an hour and a half after Alfred had inadvertently witnessed the full dimension of their friendship. It was going for ten when they walked into the kitchen looking for food, sitting down at the kitchen table at Alfred's insistence. If had hadn't actually seen what he had, he'd have no idea their relationship had become, well, become what it now plainly seemed to be. They were, and had been, nothing if not the souls of discretion. They displayed no particular shows of affection, exchanged no meaningful looks or touches and said absolutely nothing to indicate that they were, in fact, deeply involved with one another.

"But you're in the middle of things, Alf—we can go out or something."

One look was enough to stop any protests. "Bacon and eggs?"

"Cheese omelets?" Dick always did like them, and Alfred had noticed he seemed to request them after a particularly busy night, though generally the night in question would involve making arrests or perhaps going off world. Of course, the activity of last night would have worked up an appetite in anyone.

"Have you plans for the day or will you be catching up on your rest?" Alfred was getting out the cheese and the grater, starting the bacon cooking and cracking eggs. The boys exchanged a look.

"Nothing specific, just hang out." Dick got up and poured two glasses of the fresh squeezed orange juice, handing Roy one, downing his own and refilling it. "Maybe watch a movie or something."

"I shall be away seeing the new Wyeth exhibit over at the Museum and then expect to be occupied with some errands. Should I expect you for dinner, Master Dick and will be you be joining us, Master Roy?" He placed the full plates in front of the boys.

They exchanged a glance. "We're not sure yet, Alf, we'll let you know but don't worry about it. Is it okay if Roy stays again? Ollie is God knows where for the long weekend."

He nodded, taking his coat from the closet, slipping his arms into the sleeves. "I see no problem with that, Master Dick, just keep me informed about your plans, if you will. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be leaving if I'm to meet Dr. Thompkins on time. Please put your dishes in the washer when you're finished."

As soon as the door closed behind him the two young men looked at each other. Dick saying what they were both thinking. "He knows."

Roy nodded. "But he didn't really say anything. Is that because I'm sitting here or is he going to wait and just tell Bruce and let him deal with it?"

Dick just shrugged. "It could go either way; I'm wondering how he found out—you did mess up your bed, right?"

"Hell, yes. It looks like it's Atlanta and Sherman marched through it." He picked up a piece of bacon. "You don't think he heard something, do you? I mean, that is an intercom system on the wall, right?"

Just then the washing machine in the adjacent laundry room made gear sifting and water splashing noises as it went through its cycle. "Holy crap—it's Saturday; he always does laundry Saturday morning. He must have come in early to empty the hamper."

Roy stared at him. "No…." This was a nightmare; it didn't matter how early Alf had gone laundry hunting, he and Dick had spent the night together then started up again at dawn and kept going for almost two hours straight…well, okay, not exactly a straight two hours, he'd grant. If he'd come in anytime from about six to eight or eight-thirty he'd have gotten an eyeful and even if he'd missed the main event, they were still in the same bed, naked and wrapped around each other. It wasn't what you'd call subtle. "We're fucked."

Dick gave him a look. "That was almost two hours ago."

"Very funny, smart ass. If he says anything to Bruce and it gets back to Ollie…"

"And what if it does?" Dick was finished with his food and was putting his dishes in the machine. "What's he going to do? For that matter, what would either of them do? Sure, they may not like it, but what's the real problem here? We're discrete, we don't flaunt anything, no one knows—even the other Titans don't know and beyond that, it's no ones business."

"Slow down, junior, you're missing a couple of puzzle pieces here." Dick raised an eyebrow. "For starters, Ollie isn't what anyone would call open minded about what he politely refers to as 'fucking fags' and for another, he's not all that high on anyone who's associated with the Bat. Beyond that…" He stood up with some obvious discomfort, Dick looking a question at him. "My ass is sore, thank you very much."

Dick laughed, "But it was worth it, wasn't it?"

"Well, okay, yeah." Roy was smiling, too—last night had been pretty damn good. "But seriously, we have to deal with this."

"Roy, it's a non-starter. Alfred won't have a problem with it and he'll probably break it to Bruce—and you know as well as I do that no one can deal with Bruce as well as Alf can. As for Ollie, well, if it comes to it you can just move in here."

Roy wasn't sure whether to laugh out loud or be appalled by this suggestion. Him living with the Bat? Okay, sure, Dick would be in the next room—or, better yet, on the next pillow—but Bat for breakfast every morning? And, Christ, he'd seen the workouts Dick went through at least five days a week and they were killers. "But Richard", it always made Dick insane when Roy called him this, which he only did in moments of extreme annoyance "Do you actually expect me to believe that there will be no fallout from this? This is no big deal and we're all going to be one big Brady Bat family?"

"There may be a small adjustment period, I'll grant, but we'll get through it." Dick gestured toward Roy's plate, now empty. Roy handed it over so Dick could put it away.

"C'mon Dick, I'm serious. Even aside from anything else, you know Bruce hates me after the drugs. He may be willing to accept you liking guys, but he's never going to buy you and me being together…and Ollie will blow a gasket."

Dick closed the dishwasher and turned back. "He'll accept you because he has no choice. I want to be with you and if he wants me to stay around and be Robin to his Batman, he'll accept you. Period. And we'll deal with Ollie." He said it with such surety and finality that Roy didn't think to say he might be wrong.

"So, we're outted?"

"Could be, at least among friends, anyway." He paused for a moment, as if considering how to phrase what he wanted to say next. "Look, I don't want to just be known as 'The Gay Hero', y'know? I just don't need that kind of baggage, at least not right now. Are you okay with that?" He ran his hand through his hair. "I mean, let's keep it on a 'need to know' basis."

Roy considered what Dick had just said and what he meant by it; what it meant to them both. "…Yeah, well, I didn't want to deal with being 'The Junkie Hero', either so I guess that's cool."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He stopped for a moment, uncharacteristically quiet. "Are you sure you still want to do this?"

Dick looked at him, a little wary. "Do what? Us?"

Roy nodded. "It would be a lot easier if we…"

"Pretend nothing's happened? Just be 'friends'?" He took a breath, a pause. "Is that what you want?" He was afraid of the answer, Roy knew it and both hated and loved the fact that he was important enough to Dick to scare him like this.

"God, no, but this is going to be a fucking mess. Once Bruce and Ollie find out—and then it'll be all over the Titans and the JLA. You know as well as I do that it's just a matter of time before the press gets a hold of the story…I mean, Christ, you really want to deal with that?" He held up his hand to stop Dick interrupting. "You know it'll get out—this is too good a scandal to bury and then we'll have the whole thing on our heads. Christ—we won't be able to take a free breath once the paparazzi start up."

"It'll be something we'll deal with and then it will blow over as soon as the next story comes along." Roy just shook his head. "Look, it was inevitable someone would find out sooner or later, right? We both knew that all along and the longer we're together the more likely it became; all right, the suspense is over so now we'll do what we have to." Dick moved over to Roy and put his hand on his cheek in a small reassuring stroke then leaned in, kissing him. "It'll be okay. I promise." Roy shook his head slightly again and this wasn't like him, he was always so up about everything. "Hey, I told you a year ago; I love you. Nothing's changed. I love you and we're together, okay?"

This time Roy gave a small nod but still didn't seem convinced.

Alfred arrived back at the Manor about four that afternoon. The house was completely silent and the note on the kitchen counter told him the boys had gone into town to rent some movies and would be back in a little while. Good. That gave him some breathing room to really think through what he wanted to say to the lads. Certainly he had no problem with their having a relationship beyond simple friendship, but they were both still so young and so much in the public eye. In addition to that, they each had difficult men as guardians who would need to be informed and soon.

He started getting out the ingredients for the lasagna he would be making for dinner, going through the familiar routine calmed him and made it easier for him to think.

It had been almost ten years since Dick had come to live with them and in all that time it simply never occurred to him that the boy might be interested in another young man. Yes, it was true that he'd never dated much—male or female—but that could be easily marked down to his incredibly full schedule or him simply being a late starter as so many youngsters were. He'd never really said anything about anyone to indicate he was attracted to them, other than Miss Barbara, of course. Alfred had assumed that to be a case of puppy love destined to fade away as he grew up and met someone closer to his own age and temperament.

And the two young men had certainly been circumspect. Alfred hadn't the slightest indication they felt anything towards one another than a close, platonic friendship. How long had this been going on? Weeks? Months? It couldn't have been in existence for years, could it? Both lads were seventeen, of legal age, but when had this started and how had they kept is so secret? Well, clearly they would know he was on to them and might be willing to explain how this had all come about. Was he prying? Yes he was, but he knew they would understand it was out of concern—dear Lord! The possible dangers they could be exposing themselves to. Any number of diseases, public scandal, possible black listing, notoriety, censure, prejudice, bigotry and flat out hatred would be thrown at them and though they may be used to dealing with the public side of their lives, this would be beyond anything they'd experienced. They must be prepared for what could come. Another thought occurred to him as he was browning the ground beef; the Teen Titans were looked up to as role models for youngsters the world over. If it became known that the romantic connection between the members consisted of Robin and Speedy instead of Wonder Girl and any one of the young men…they would be pummeled.

This could overshadow all the good works the youngsters had accomplished over the years. It might well all be wiped out in a flood of mockery and gossip.

He would speak with them when they got back from their trip to town. In all likelihood they had already considered all of this but the perspective of a teenager was different than that of an adult and that was a simple fact.

The boys got back about five and went straight to the entertainment room to watch the first of a hand full of films they'd brought back. By six forty-five the lasagna was almost ready and Dick was called into the kitchen.

"Master Bruce called a short while ago. It seems his business went faster than he'd anticipated and he expected to land by seven this evening, so with any luck he'll be walking in shortly. I thought it would be polite to wait for him, if you lads aren't too hungry to wait a bit."

Dick looked slightly apprehensive, but only someone who knew him well would have possibly noticed. "Sure, no problem, Alf." He hesitated, "Did you want to talk to me about anything?"

"Regarding?"

Dick spoke a little too quickly. "C'mon, Alfred. I know you were in my room this morning."

He folded the kitchen towel he was holding and placed in on the counter. "I admit to being surprised but I'm not one to pass judgment when it's apparent that what I'm seeing is bringing happiness and harms no one."

Dick gave him a steady look. "But…?"

"But surely you're both aware of the possible disaster were this to become public. Should two Titans be known to be as close as you two are, your work would be compromised—no, hear me out. You know this is true just as you know that you would be facing all sorts of unpleasant speculation and publicity and if Dick Grayson and Roy Harper were known to be close; not only your private lives but also those of Master Bruce and Master Queen would be affected. The fact you've kept this information to yourselves tells me you know this."

"Of course we do, but it's no one's business and…"

"It may not be, but when you chose to live your life on an open stage, you also chose the criticism which goes along with that choice. You've lived in the public eye more than long enough to know what the consequences may be."

Dick leaned his elbows on the granite counter. "But it's such bullshit. It's my life and…"

"Indeed it is, but it's equally true that you and Master Roy are not average by any measure and the standards you're held to are difficult both to attain and maintain. You've known this as long as I've known you."

"It's my life—our lives—and it's not fair."

Alfred smiled at the petulance. "That doesn't even deserve an answer as you passed that level of naivety years ago." He got out the dinner plates, handing them to Dick to start setting the table. "You also know the Master must be informed. Would you prefer I do it or would you like to?" Dick looked like he'd rather face a gallows. "I believe I can inform him in such a way he will be receptive and understanding. Now, if you would let Master Roy know that we'll be eating as soon as the master arrives, I would appreciate it."

"Tell him after dinner, okay?"

"The condemned deserve a last meal?" Alfred smiled as he said it; well, he almost smiled, anyway. Dick gave him a look, placed the last silverware on the table and went to talk to Roy before Alfred called him back. "It goes without saying that you know you have my full support. However, I do have several questions I would appreciate your clearing up for me."

Dick looked apprehensive, but nodded. "You want to know how long and when and how and all of that, right?"

"Partly, yes, but more to the point, I would like to know why you felt the need to keep this such a secret. I understand about you wishing to preserve your privacy and I've no desire to violate that, but you must realize the awkward position we're now in." It was said kindly and Dick knew he just wanted some basic answers.

Dick sighed, stalling for a few seconds to phrase what he was going to say then started. "It's been going on between me and Roy for about a year now, maybe a little longer and I think it surprised me even more than it did him. We're friends, y'know? Nothing more, but close friends and then last year…we were in the Tower talking, the others had left and somehow we ended up having a real conversation. It was late and we were tired and we had some beer…you know how it happens sometimes." He glanced up at Alfred, making sure it was okay since he knew Alfred didn't approve of underage drinking other than the very occasional glass of good wine on a special occasion. "Anyway, it was pretty much the first time I think I've ever said what I really thought without censoring myself, talked about how I really felt about things with someone who might understand. The two of us went through two six packs, but that wasn't why. We just kept talking, telling each other all kinds of things we'd never told anyone, stuff about our parents, how we felt about being in the Titans, Bruce, Ollie, school, all kinds of stuff. God, it was great to be able to do that without worrying about someone telling you you're wrong or who don't understand or say you'll grow out of it or something." He looked up at Alfred again. "Does that make sense?" Alfred nodded; yes, it made perfect sense. "Around dawn we were both tired and no one else was in the tower. I said I was going to bed and he just came with me. It was strange, but it seemed natural that after sharing all those things we'd never told anyone else. He followed me—I thought he was going to his own room but he followed me inside of mine, got in my bed and we slept together." He paused a moment to see Alfred's reaction, but there was none, just a kind of curiosity. "Nothing happened that night, we just slept, but we got in the habit whenever we were there alone and then it just kind of, you know, it kind of developed…"

"I see."

"And you're okay with it?" It wasn't a challenge; it was a real question wanting an honest answer. Was it just taking comfort with an old friend or did the boys actually have romantic feelings for one another?

"Of course, so long as it makes you both happy and neither of you gets hurt."

Dick looked closely at Alfred's face, neutral as always. "You think we'll get hurt?"

Alfred turned the oven temperature down a bit, straightened, "I think that at seventeen you both have many changes and a good bit of growing up yet to accomplish and there's no promise that your paths will continue to run parallel as that occurs. You must be prepared for that eventuality."

"You think this is some kind of a fling or experiment and we'll 'grow up' and meet a couple of nice girls to settle down with?"

Alfred shook his head slightly. "Perhaps, perhaps not. I'm not a fortuneteller, Master Dick. I'm merely stating the obvious." They saw car lights coming up the drive, turning to make the turn into the garage. Bruce was home. "I suggest you get Master Roy and inform him we shall be eating in fifteen minutes. I'm confident the master would appreciate a peaceful meal this evening, if you don't mind."

"So, anything happen while I was away?" They were half way through dinner and Bruce was playing the convivial host. They'd been through the 'Roy, good to see you' and 'How's Ollie treating you?' routine and now he was moving on to Dick and the last few days. The conversation was general and benign but Dick knew Bruce was watching, something—Alfred? His own instincts?—had made him suspicious and that there would be a real Q&A later. "Did you see Lantern captured Poison Ivy Saturday? That's new territory for him."

"I heard." Dick was playing with his lasagna, making designs in the tomato sauce.

"I was wondering why Hal had to step up—where were you?"

Ah, the dropping shoe. "Nowhere, I just didn't hear she was out again, that's all."

Bruce gave him a sharp look, a Bat look. "Why not?"

Because he and Roy had spent the entire evening and a good part of the night in bed, on the floor, in the pool, the shower, the garden, the Jacuzzi…that's why. "I just didn't."

"Roy, were you staying over on Saturday? I'd have thought Ollie might have called you about this if he knew you were with Dick."

Roy exchanged a quick glance with Dick; they both knew they were busted but were going to play this out. Hey, they could get lucky, right? "I think Ollie was somewhere with Dinah this weekend. I haven't heard from him in a few days."

Bruce digested this, nodding slightly. "Dick, I'd like a word. Roy, you'll excuse us?" Another glance between the boys and Roy left the room. "Now, what's going on? The truth."

"There's nothing going on. Roy and I spent the weekend together and I didn't check the computer, that's all. We took a weekend off—it's not like I make a habit out of it; Hal had it covered."

"Gotham isn't Hal's problem."

"C'mon, Bruce, we just took a couple of days off. It's not that big a deal." Yes it was and he knew it. He also knew Bruce was furious and would think of something to make sure Dick knew just how disappointed he was.

Bruce took a sip of his wine and Dick realized he was stalling for time to collect his thoughts—and that wasn't good. Finally, "Unless I miss my guess, I take it that you and Roy are more than friends."

It was a statement, not a question and Dick didn't know how he'd figured it out. He hadn't had time to really talk to Alfred unless Alf had called him on the plane or something and he and Roy had been completely discrete from the second he'd walked in the door—and not just tonight but since they'd started as a couple. Yeah, sure, he was the Bat, but did he really know or was he just taking a shot? "Roy and I are friends. We've been friends since we were twelve."

"Don't insult me. You know exactly what I'm talking about and I would appreciate an honest answer without playing games."

There was no point in trying to evade anything here. Dick knew Bruce well enough to know when he was busted and busted he was, he sagged physically and emotionally. "What do you want to know?"

"First of all, I'm not surprised that you've involved yourself with someone you've known for a long time, but Roy? I'd think that after the problems he's had you'd have the sense to find someone more stable, to say the least." He held up a hand, stopping Dick's protest. "Secondly, I want to know if you consider this a serious relationship or if it's just physical." The outraged expression on Dick's face told him all he needed to know. "I see. And what to you expect to happen with this? Do you plan to move in together or some such?"

"We've talked about it, yes."

"When you're done with school, I take it."

"That's right. Do you have a problem with that?"

Dick was on the defensive and Bruce knew he'd get nowhere, but kept on anyway, angry he hadn't been told months ago. "Several, as a matter if fact, starting with the fact that this isn't an relationship based on equality but on him being dependant on you and I would think that in and of itself would be enough to warn you off."

"And the fact that we're both male doesn't matter to you? If I was involved with Donna you wouldn't care nearly as much."

"I don't have a problem with gay or bi or whatever you may think you are. I have a problem with you involving yourself with a drug addict—and spare me the argument that he's clean. You know the statistics about backsliding as well as I do."

Dick was seeing red, even though he knew better than to think anything else could have happened. This was, after all, Bruce he was dealing with—patronizing and condescending as ever. He was about to snap back a retort, but managed to hold his tongue at the last second. "Okay look, we can argue or we can talk about this—you're choice."

"We'll discuss this later. In the meantime, what plans did you and Roy have for the rest of the evening?" He saw the look on Dick's face. "And please just answer the question without the attitude." He was about to continue when Alfred, in what was clearly no accident, walked in.

"Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, but Master Dick, you are sorely neglecting your guest and Master Bruce, you have a phone call from Mr. Fox on line three." It worked; the tension, if not broken, was diverted with Bruce going to take the call and Dick going to find Roy. This would continue, no question. Nothing was solved. Dick found Roy sitting on one of the lounge chairs by the indoor pool and surrounded by the full-grown palm trees, staring at the water. He watched Dick cross over and sit on the edge of the chair, their legs touching. "Well?"

"He knows and he was starting on the 'you're both young and you don't know what you're doing, this isn't what you think it is' route when Alfred interrupted."

"To be continued later, no doubt, at which time you'll get the 'and you know he's a drug addict and you can do better' part of the speech." Roy looked out the floor to ceiling windows behind Dick. It was dark, but the outdoor lights were on and it was starting to snow a little. "I should go home—this is too weird now."

Dick put his hand on Roy's, picking it up and holding it. He looked at it intently, stared at it, studying the veins and the calluses where he's been pulling the bowstring for years. He'd always thought that was something they had in common—callused hands from hard, repetitive work perfecting what they did. The other Titans had amazing powers to develop; they were the two members who just had talent and plain hard work. "No, don't. Please stay. Bruce has to get used to this and we might as well start now."

"In the guest room?"

"In my room."

Roy gave one of his big grins, the kind which had earned him the reputation as a world-class smart-ass. "Well, what the hell; I always did want to see what it would take to rattle the Bat." He squeezed Dick's hand and turned semi-serious, "You sure about this? I mean you're the one who has to live with him."

"Yeah, well, it's sort of a payback for all those bimbos he used to bring home. I actually got pretty good at scaring them away at breakfast the next morning. They all wanted Bruce, but the idea of a ten year old was enough to make most of them go running—I used to half think that was why he kept me around."

"'Probably so." They were trying but this had turned serious now. The last year was a build up to this and they knew it. If they were going to stay together it was inevitable they'd have to come to terms with being outted to their friends and family. The shoe had dropped and they'd be dealing with it. If they were lucky it would blow over and they'd be accepted soon enough. If not they'd have to talk and make plans.

"Bruce is getting ready to go on patrol. You want to join him?"

"You're kidding, right?" Robbie couldn't be serious.

Dick broke out a smile to rival anything Roy was capable of. "C'mon, it'll be fun."

"Like diving out of a plane without a parachute, it'll be fun."

Dick stopped, maybe asking Roy to jump in here with both feet wasn't the best idea he'd ever had. "Would you rather stay here?" Roy looked at him as if he'd just asked if he wanted to keep breathing. "Okay, tell you what—I'll ask him if he wants me to go with him, and I'll see you as soon as I can."

Roy looked like he was ready to bolt and run for the door. "You sure? I mean seriously, maybe it would be better if I left." Dick had noticed for years how much the bat got under the skin of his friends. It had played hell with his social live since he'd moved into the manor.

"We have to deal with this sooner or later; we might as well get it over with so we can get on with everything." That was Dick, pragmatic as ever.

Roy gave him a wry look. "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."

"Master Dick? Master Bruce asks me to inform you that he will handle this evening's outing by himself and will see you both in the morning." Alfred left as silently as he'd come in.

"'This evening's outing?' Roy wasn't sure if this was a joke or not.

"Welcome to the wacky world of Bat humor."

TBC