Chapter Text
15 years ago…
The school parking lot was mostly empty when Barbara parked her small Toyota near the school’s entrance. Gotham Academy was now a boarding school, so the parking lot was just a remnant of the past and only full when parents came to drop off or pickup their children at the beginning and end of the year.
Knowing that didn’t make it less creepy, Dick thought. He could faintly hear music coming from the school, adding to the eerie effect in the dark, vacant parking lot.
Barbara’s smile was radiant when she looked at him. “Ready to go?”
“Uh…Five more minutes?” he asked weakly.
“Ashamed to be seen with me, Grayson?” Barbara teased.
“Ashamed to be seen with the most beautiful girl in Gotham?” Dick said with a wink.
Despite his nerves, Dick could still be charming. He hadn’t spent the last decade as a famous billionaire’s ward without picking up a few tricks.
Barbara rolled her eyes at him. “Flirt.”
“Only for you,” Dick said.
“That’s a blatant lie, if I’ve ever heard one,” she said with another eye roll. “Dick, come on. Before Wally sends out the search party. Or worse, your dad.”
“Ugh,” Dick groaned. “And then he’d contact your dad.”
“Yeah. It’d be a nightmare. So, let’s go,” Barbara said. “For the sake of all those FBI agents who don’t want to spend the night chasing after two not-missing teens.”
“Okay.” Dick took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”
Barbara held his hand all the way to the ballroom entrance. Dick couldn’t have had a better, more supportive girlfriend.
“Dick!” Clark said. He appeared to be playing bouncer to the ballroom, where most of Dick’s classmates were already dancing. “You look sharp.”
Dick let go of Barbara’s hand to adjust his bowtie with a cocky grin. “Always, Mr. Kent. I have to look good when the prettiest girl in Gotham is with me.”
Barbara gently slapped his arm. “You’ve used that line already tonight, Grayson.”
Clark laughed. “Must be the nerves,” he said. “Did Dick tell you he’s in the running for prom king?”
“No!” Barbara said, clearly delighted. “I am so glad I brought my camara.”
Dick pretended that he wasn’t blushing furiously. This was why he shouldn’t date his childhood friends. All he received was mocking.
“I won’t hold you kids up,” Clark said. “Don’t have too much fun.”
“No such thing, Mr. Kent,” Dick said cheerfully.
He tucked Barbara’s hand in the crook of his arm and strolled in with more confidence than he felt.
Gotham Academy had an actual ballroom for its various school functions and fundraisers. Barbara’s prom last weekend had been in her school’s gym.
Dick grinned when he saw her eyes widen. “Nice, yeah?”
“I suppose,” she said, quickly schooling her face.
“Dick!”
Dick stumbled into Barbara as a fast-moving body collided into his side.
“You’re finally here!” Wally said, wrapping his arms around Dick’s shoulders. “I thought you’d never come!”
“We’re right on time,” Dick said.
“No thanks to you,” Barbara said.
Wally laughed and extracted himself from Dick. “You look great, Barbara! Thanks for getting him here on time.”
That was rich, coming from Wally, who was late even more often than Dick.
“Isn’t she the prettiest girl in Gotham?” Dick said.
“Seriously, again?” Barbara said with a huff, but she was smiling. “You’re such a dork.”
“I’m adorable!” Dick said. “That’s why you love me.”
“Stop flirting,” Wally said. “You’re going to make me look bad in front of Artemis.”
“Where is she, anyway?” Dick asked, scanning the crowd.
“She grabbed us a table in the front,” Wally said. “We want you to be front and center when you receive your crown.”
“I might not win!” Dick protested.
Wally flapped his hand at Dick. “Sure, mister class-president-since-freshman-year.”
“Whatever,” Dick grumbled.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mr. Lewis staring at him from across the room, and he stiffened. Wally, oblivious to this development, said, “I bet Donna will be prom queen, though she actually had to campaign. Well – M’gann campaigned for her, but same thing.”
“Artemis is probably getting bored,” Dick said, his eyes flitting back to Mr. Lewis. “Babs, you want to go with Wally to meet Artemis and set down your purse, and I’ll get us food?”
Both Wally and Barbara shot him concerned looks at the sudden topic change. Wally glanced over his shoulder. He must’ve seen Mr. Lewis, too, because he plastered on a cheerful grin. “Let’s go, milady. Artemis will kill me for saying this, but she’s excited to meet you.”
Barbara gently squeezed Dick’s shoulder before she let Wally lead her through the crowd.
Dick took a moment to compose himself before he threaded through the dancing bodies to the punch bowl, where Mr. Lewis apparently was on guard duty.
“Trying to avoid last year’s incident?” Dick said in greeting, nodding at the punch.
Mr. Lewis smiled, warm and amused. “This isn’t an attempt, I hope.”
“You caught me,” Dick said. “Wally is behind you with the vodka.”
Mr. Lewis didn’t bother checking over his shoulder as he laughed.
“I’m just here to grab punch for my girlfriend. Honest,” Dick said.
Mr. Lewis’s mouth tightened at the mention of Barbara. Dick had been purposefully blatant. He wanted to get this over with, like ripping off a Band-Aid. And like a Band-Aid, Mr. Lewis did mean well, which only made it hurt worse.
“I saw that you brought the Commissioner’s daughter,” Mr. Lewis said.
“We’ve been dating for a few weeks,” Dick said defiantly.
“I heard,” Mr. Lewis said gravely, like they were talking about a death and not Dick’s love life. “What happened to that nice young man from the winter formal?”
“We weren’t a good fit,” Dick said evenly. “Look, Mr. Lewis, I’m not back in the closet. Really. I’m just bisexual.”
“I understand.” Mr. Lewis’s gaze was pitying. Dick hated it.
Rationally, Dick could understand Mr. Lewis’s perspective. Mr. Lewis had spent the first twenty years of his adult life married to a woman that he couldn’t love. In his day, the term ‘bisexual’ just meant confused or closeted.
“I’m going…to go over there,” Dick said, gesturing vaguely.
He ignored the burning in his eyes as he stumbled away. Mr. Lewis didn’t try to stop him.
Dick didn’t know where his friends were sitting, but he soon spotted Roy’s bright red hair. Roy always made Dick feel better, even though they weren’t that close. As fellow rags-to-rich-men’s-wards, they had a lot in common.
Roy was talking to a boy with dark hair – Jason, Dick was pretty sure. Jason was in the grade below, but Dick liked to know all his schoolmates.
“-slut,” Dick heard Jason said when he got closer.
Dick didn’t mean to eavesdrop, per se, but the two boys were facing away from Dick, and Jason’s voice was getting louder.
“That's harsh,” Roy said. “I think you need to drink a little less of that.”
Jason snatched his drink close before Roy could grab it. “I'm fine,” he snapped, a little slurred. “I just think that he's such a slut. He was with that guy last time, and now he's with her? Seriously? So gross. He should make up his mind already.”
“Jason…” Roy started.
Dick was definitely eavesdropping now, but he couldn’t move. He was frozen. Maybe they weren’t talking about him?
“Fucking Dick Grayson,” Jason snarled and took another swig of his drink.
It shouldn’t bother Dick this much. He didn’t know Jason. Not really. The horrified look Roy was giving Jason should make Dick feel better. It didn’t.
“Dude,” Roy said. “What the fuck.”
A hand touched Dick’s elbow, startling him from his stupor. “There you are,” Barbara said. “We were…” She trailed off when she saw his face. “What’s wrong?”
“I…” Dick couldn’t tear his gaze away from Roy and Jason. “He…”
Jason said something else – something equally insulting. No, insulting wasn’t the right word. Degrading? Dick was usually better with words.
Barbara’s grip on his hand tightened. She apparently could hear Jason too. That made it so much worse, for her to witness his humiliation. Which was so stupid. He’d been expecting this.
“Hey!” Wally said, appearing with Artemis in tow. “Oh, shit. Dick. You alright, dude?”
Great. More people to see this.
“I’ll be right back,” Barbara said. Her voice was hard, but she was gentle as she pushed Dick to Wally.
“What’s going on?” Wally said.
Barbara’s smile was all teeth. “I’m handling it.”
She strode up to where Jason and Roy were standing. She tapped Roy on the shoulder. When Roy turned, she plucked his drink from his hand and then promptly splashed the red liquid into Jason’s face. As Jason sputtered, she primly lifted her skirt and kneed him in the crotch.