#the kid who supplies the magazine being barbara gordon

[inamindfarfaraway]

Joker Parks AU

Crossover AU of DC Comics, specifically Batman, and Dead End: Paranormal Park.

Joesph Kerr, better known by his stage name the Joker, is a famous TV and movie star, comedian and general personality. He’s egotistical and kinda shifty, but very charismatic, a brilliant actor and none of the rumours have ever been proven, so his popularity has endured over many years; his style of comedy is notably ironic, irreverent and morbid, while his trademark genre is chilling, thrilling, eerie, high-octane horror often with supernatural elements. He’s such a big presence that he’s got his own theme park themed entirely around him and his work. Lately he’s retired from the public scene though. In fact, fact, despite thriving on attention, he has this weird tendency to disappear every now and then and show up looking slightly different. Wait, how long is his career? Does anyone know how old he is?

Selina Kyle is a troubled teenage girl. Her cool, sly delinquent persona and cynical sharp wit hide not only pain, but a huge heart that cares deeply about people once she lets them in. She was born and raised in the East End of Gotham City, a district defined by poverty and suffering. Her mother committed suicide when she was just a young child. Her abusive father drank himself to death not long afterward. She and her little sister Maggie have recently passed into the custody of Leslie Thompkins, a doctor in the same neighbourhood who is a genuinely wonderful person and mother. But Selina is fiercely independent, carrying tons of unprocessed grief and guilt about her mother’s death and bitter disrespect toward the concepts of parents and authority, and as a result unable to accept Leslie or the notions that maybe her life can be good and she can be happy. And most crucially, that she deserves to be happy. This severely strains her relationship with Leslie because she continually sabotages it. It’s also taxing her and Maggie’s previously strong bond; Maggie is much more optimistic, sociable, cooperative and docile and unlike Selina, engages with the therapy Leslie’s signed them up for, making her the better adjusted sister. Part of Selina is jealous, the rest doesn’t want to drag her down. She becomes a security guard at Joker Parks to have a place to escape these tensions and interact with people who won’t know her tragic past unless she tells them. In the wake of a wild hiring, she takes this to the point of she running away to live in the park’s main building Dead End, a haunted mansion attraction that happens to actually be haunted. It isn’t the first time she’s ran away. She knows how to survive alone. That Maggie misses her and Leslie refuses to give up on her for some inexplicable reason can be dealt with later. Except from the start of this time, she isn’t alone. She has… friends. This is new and significantly complicates things.

Harleen “Harley” Quinzel is another troubled teenage girl. A boisterous, hyperactive eccentric, she chafes in her tedious life of mundanity and obscurity. Bullying has been a lifelong problem. She has low self-esteem, doesn’t consider herself special or worthwhile at all and is terrified of never amounting to anything, so she’s fixated on acquiring worthiness through sheer dedication: when it comes to passion and enthusiasm, nobody can top her. If anything her problem is being too intense. She has an idealistic worldview, seeing the best in people and wanting to believe there’s good in everyone. She’s painfully self-aware of her social ineptitude in practice, and studies psychological theory in great detail to try to compensate. Her inner empathy is high, she simply doesn’t always know how to apply it. While Selina has grown up too fast, Harley frequently comes across as emotionally immature. The one constant illuminating her dreary life has been her interest in the Joker. She’s a superfan. He makes her feel like she can be somebody, do something that matters, make a difference - not to mention he’s her celebrity crush. Even before getting hired there, she has encyclopaedic knowledge of Joker Parks. Her fashion sense and sense of humour are clearly partly inspired by his. Working at his theme park as a security guard is her dream job. She doesn’t think anything could possibly ruin her summer, however scary and scarring its occult underside might get. Unfortunately, the park takes this as a challenge.

Poison Ivy is an ancient immortal nature spirit thousands of years old, although she physically appears and half the time acts like a teenage girl, and definitely extremely troubled. She’s the spirit of the land the park and surrounding suburbia stand on, the guardian of its plants. She used to be a sweet soul. Humanity’s uncompromising expansion overpowered her magic - in response she’s learned to be a lot more ruthless and cunning in how she uses it - and she has been forced to watch her domain be devastated and defiled to this day, currently by a gaudy, totally unnecessary amusement park. And she feels it’s all her fault. It’s been a rough five centuries. The modern Ivy is a jaded misanthrope who despises humans. Their selfishness, greed, pride and indulgence are the only parts of them she’s experienced, so she acts callous right back. At the beginning of the story she’s so broken she’s lost faith in everything and everyone and thinks humanity’s excess has ruined Earth beyond salvation. Her goal is to sever her connection to her territory (removing her indestructible magic vine bracelets in the process) thus allowing her to leave the park and its shameful memories of her failure behind for another dimension inhabited exclusively by fellow supernatural beings. Where she can find peace… and make her first ever friends. This will take powerful magic. Hence why she’s initially aligned with the evil demon lord Temeluchus. However, this tangled thorn bush still has its roses. She does have a conscience and yearns for companionship and compassion. The mortal girls and Ace’s arrival sets her off on rediscovering the world’s good and beauty, discovering humanity’s and regaining her own direction and belief in herself. She slowly realizes friendship is several dimensions closer than she thought.

Ace is Harley’s beloved pet German Shepherd. (Yes, I’m stealing Batman’s dog because I can and it suits Joker and Harley’s shared playing card motif.) She wanted a hyena as a kid because Joker tames one to be his sidekick in a movie, but settled for a dog. He’s named after the hyena too. He develops human intelligence, speech, opposable thumbs and magical abilities after accidentally being possessed by Temeluchus and retaining a tiny fragment of the mighty demon’s soul. He’s unconditionally loyal to Harley, but simultaneously forms an independent identity. E.g. he hones his magical talent under Ivy’s tutelage and bonds with her over being fundamentally caught in a liminal space between the paranormal and the earthly. Having her oldest friend challenge her and assert his autonomy pushes Harley to mature and be more respectful of others.

Bruce Wayne is slightly older than Selina and Harley and a more experienced employee of the park who operates the Deathslide attraction. His personality fits perfectly into its gothic atmosphere. He joins the girls in unraveling the Joker’s mysteries and eventually Selina in a romantic relationship. The truth is that like them he’s desperately lonely, isolated by his sheltered background as the richest kid in Gotham and self-perpetuating poor social skills. Justice, helping people and detective work have given meaning to his life in lieu of connection with others. The reason he got his job in the first place was to figure out and expose the Joker’s corruption and deception, based on his impossibly long lifespan and the testimony of an old impersonator of him. Befriending the girls and Ace gets him invested in investigating the supernatural as well.

[tabloidtoc]

OK, August 31

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Bindi Irwin’s baby surprise -- twins

Page 2: Contents 

Page 3: Contents 

Page 4: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s make-or-break vacation with their kids to the Dominican Republic -- Kim and Kanye may have saved their crumbling relationship 

Page 6: Amber Heard and ex-husband Johnny Depp’s nasty courtroom bombshells made headlines across the globe but now that the case has wrapped up the actress is ready to move forward 

Page 7: After temporarily living in a few of their friends’ properties Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have finally purchased a home of their own which is a jaw-dropping $14.7 million estate in the ritzy Santa Barbara enclave of Montecito and they intend to make this their forever home, Cameron Diaz confessed she felt at peace with her decision to ditch the Hollywood scene in favor of motherhood but that lifestyle change came a shake-up in her social circle because Cameron can’t be bothered with people she sees as superficial, Paris Jackson’s inner circle is concerned about her mental health in the wake of her sudden split from beau of two years Gabriel Glenn because she’s already such a fragile character so a ton of people worry she won’t be able to cope without Gabriel by her side 

Page 8: After a few tough years Lisa Marie Presley is ready to leave L.A. and head to Graceland because she’s convinced that being close to her dad Elvis Presley’s spirit is the best shot she has at getting her life back on track, January Jones is known for keeping her personal life private she’s recently turned over a new leaf and is ready to spill her best-kept secrets in a juicy memoir but the name of the father of her son Xander probably won’t make it into the book, though Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have been best buds for decades Ben’s girlfriend Ana de Armas has no interest in getting to know Matt’s wife Luciana Barroso -- the guys hoped they’d hit it off but Luciana thinks Ana is an opportunist and Ana snipes that Luciana is stuck up

Page 10: Red Hot on the Red Carpet -- stars reign supreme in purple -- Keke Palmer, Karlie Kloss 

Page 11: Tracee Ellis Ross, Carrie Underwood 

Page 12: Who Wore It Better? Diane Kruger vs. Cindy Bruna, Padma Lakshmi vs. Katharine McPhee Foster 

Page 14: News in Photos -- Kylie Jenner in L.A. on her birthday 

Page 15: Pierce Brosnan and son Paris on the golf course, Joy Bauer after taking a yoga class, Kate Hudson showed off her green juice, Serena Williams while dressing up in princess costumes with daughter Alexis 

Page 16: Drab to Fab -- dropping the extra weight gave these celebs a boost of confidence -- Adele, Ben Affleck, Kelly Osbourne 

Page 18: Sarah Hyland and Wells Adams on the day they were supposed to get married, Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade and daughter Kaavia, Reese Witherspoon and her affectionate dog Lou, Britney Spears and Sam Asghari riding bikes with masks on 

Page 20: Alessandra Ambrosio played volleyball on the beach, Rita Ora lounging during a vacation in Ibiza

Page 21: Gordon Ramsay gave son Oscar a lift while exploring the coastline near their new home in Cornwall, David Beckham at the beach in Greece, RHONJ star Melissa Gorga tried on a swimsuit while taping promos for the Bravo reality show

Page 22: Mayim Bialik and her cat Addie promoting Royal Canin’s Take Your Cat to the Vet campaign, pro wrestler Ariane Andrew out and about in L.A., Mark Wahlberg and wife Rhea Durham during a family day at the lake 

Page 24: Lynette Barbieri and Raffaela Pontecorvo and Vanessa Coppes and Jennifer DeCillis and Amanda Ringel at Bella Magazine’s eighth annual Hamptons Cover Lunch, Shia LaBeouf played it up for the cameras while on a jog, pregnant Katy Perry took a quick snooze while shopping for baby supplies 

Page 25: Kevin Hart running errands in L.A., Kristen Taekman modeled a pair of overalls for her blog, Bachelor in Paradise alums Hannah Godwin and Dylan Barbour showed off their silly sides while shooting a video for Dr. Scholl’s 

Page 26: Inside My Home -- Selena Gomez’s expansive estate -- check out the star’s plush new pad 

Page 28: Chip and Joanna Gaines are no longer seeing eye to eye when it comes to their future -- Joanna isn’t thrilled about the revival of Fixer Upper and they’ve been bickering since Chip signed the deal 

Page 29: Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Joe Alwyn will star alongside brunette beauty Emma Mackey in a biopic centered on Wuthering Heights author Emily Bronte and although filming won’t commence until next year Taylor is already sweating bullets -- she trusts Joe but this will be the first time in literally years they’ll have to be apart for a while and the idea of him spending all that time with someone as beautiful and charming as Emma has her anxious 

Page 30: After nearly four years together Mariah Carey and Bryan Tanaka are ready to become husband and wife, Sacha Baron Cohen has been working nonstop since the lockdown started to lift leaving wife Isla Fisher to do all the heavy lifting at home with their three kids all under the age of 13, Love Bites -- Jennifer Garner and John Miller split, Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger welcomed a baby girl, Duff Goldman and wife Johnna Colbry are expecting their first child 

Page 32: Cover Story -- Bindi Irwin’s big surprise -- mom-to-be Bindi is pregnant with twins 

Page 36: Close Calls -- these stars cheated death -- Jennifer Aniston, Antonio Banderas 

Page 37: Rachel Bilson, Sharon Stone, Leonardo DiCaprio 

Page 38: The Next Generation -- get to know the talented up-and-coming stars who are taking Hollywood by storm -- Joey King, Chase Stokes, Halle Bailey, Charles Melton 

Page 39: Hayley Kiyoko, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Zendaya, Lucas Hedges 

Page 40: Interview -- Keanu Reeves -- the veteran actor opens up about his reputation for being one of the sweetest stars around 

Page 42: Beach Body Winners -- how these stunning stars stay in swimsuit shape -- Brooke Shields, Julianne Hough, Olivia Culpo 

Page 43: Nina Agdal, Carrie Underwood, Jessie James Decker 

Page 46: Style Week -- Swimsuits for All and Ashley Graham have collaborated once again on a supersexy collection of size-inclusive swimwear 

Page 48: What’s Hot Right Now -- elevate your look with products from these empowering female-owned beauty brands -- Tracee Ellis Ross, Amy Schumer is bringing a little humor to a serious topic in hopes of making period conversation as normal as periods 

Page 49: Foot Notes -- fashionable footwear 

Page 50: Say Anything -- make a bold statement in a cheeky graphic tee -- Yara Shahidi 

Page 52: Beauty -- Chill Out -- beat the heat and humidity with these cooling beauty products -- Sofia Richie 

Page 54: Entertainment 

Page 55: Q&A -- Elizabeth Pipko 

Page 58: Buzz -- just got paid -- Forbes reveals which actors earned the most money from June 2019 to June 2020 -- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Mark Wahlberg, Ben Affleck, Vin Diesel 

Page 60: Sound Bites -- Jason Sudeikis on being a father, Kelly Clarkson on daughter River, Ariana Grande on Lady Gaga accidentally scratching her face while rehearsing their Rain on Me music video, Ben Schwartz, Kate Hudson on what she tells herself when she’s stressed 

Page 61: Tamera Mowry asked if she wanted a quarantine baby, Gwen Stefani correcting Dua Lipa who thought she was married to Blake Shelton, Simon Cowell after breaking his back in a cycling accident, Kate Bosworth on whether she’s willing to do a Blue Crush sequel, Bruno Mars on songwriting 

Page 62: Horoscope -- Virgo LeAnn Rimes turned 38 on August 28 

Page 64: By the Numbers -- Linda Cardellini 

[turnupswritessometimes]

Birdflash - Hypothetically

Title: ‘Hypothetically’

Part: 1/2

Description:  Usually, Dick Grayson dreaded the Wayne Charity Balls. Usually, it meant that he was skipping a mission. Swapping leaping across buildings and kicking criminals in the spleen for prosecco and small talk. It meant avoiding the dance floor and the gaggle of girls swooning over him as opposed to avoiding bullets and lasers. But this night was different. This night there had been a threat from The Light, which meant the whole team had been added to the guest list, in civilian disguise of course. And there's someone that Dick's just dying to flirt with.

Word Count: 5,076

PUBLISHED ON A03 UNDER THE SAME NAME BUT TAGS MAKE POSTS NOT APPEAR IN TAGS SO..

Usually, Dick Grayson dreaded the Wayne Charity Balls. Usually, it meant that he was skipping a mission. Swapping leaping across buildings and kicking criminals in the spleen for prosecco and small talk. It meant avoiding the dance floor and the gaggle of girls swooning over him as opposed to avoiding bullets and lasers.

Things had gotten worse with his five-year break. He was rusty at playing the part of the billionaire's son and his tolerance for girls was even lower than before. When he was thirteen, it was enough to humour them with a dance and a wink and a kiss on the cheek.  It made them smile and giggle, and that had satisfied Dick. Now, they were expecting kisses and phone numbers at the least. Staying the night was a given.

Maybe if he were Bruce he could carry on playing along. But he wasn't Bruce and Dick was pretty sure he was gay.

He used the words pretty sure because he hadn't actually been with a guy yet. But he knew he couldn't dredge up any romantic feelings for a girl.

Guys on the other hand – they weren’t in short supply. There was someone in particular he had his eye on, but it was that age old problem of being head over heels for his best friend. His best friend who might not even be into guys.

Barbara was currently the only one who knew. He had told her when he'd returned, when they'd been lounging in a classroom at lunch, eating Salt and Vinegar crisps and drinking 'Monster.'

He hadn't been nervous until Barbara's eyes glazed over and she stared into space for so long that his heart began thudding. He had thought he was safe. He had thought that she would be fine with it. But maybe he had been wrong. Maybe this was the end of their friendship. Maybe he would lose his only friend in Gotham – the only person his age who that he was Nightwing and Dick Grayson.

But then she had whispered.

"Oh my God, we really do group together."

It had been Barbara's way of saying 'I'm gay too.'

Which worked out great, actually. Dick could dance with her at the Charity Balls and wouldn't have to kiss her.

But this night was different. This night there had been a threat from The Light, which meant the whole team had been added to the guest list, in civilian disguise of course. That, in turn, meant that when shit inevitably hit the fan, Dick could still get in on some of the action.

It was just a bonus that no one on the team knew his, or Barbara's, secret identity.

It meant he could wreak havoc, and he knew that was what was on Barbara's mind too.

He watched her now, over Ms Zillabar's shoulder as she smiled at Zatanna, her eyes sparkling under the heavy eyeliner.

Ms Zillabar asked him the unavoidable question - "so no girlfriend yet, Mr Grayson?"

"Not yet," Dick smiled. All his smiles were tight nowadays and the feeling had become normal.

He imagined turning around and saying the truth. It would be out to the press by the next morning. He could out himself to all of Gotham so easily.

And of course, Ms Zillabar would smile and say that he was 'too young to know about these things' and 'had he tried dating a girl?' as though Dick was just being lazy.

Her imagined reaction alone was enough to put him off the idea, let alone all of Gotham's.

There was a flash of ginger at the corner of his vision, and he pretended to hear Ms Zillarbar's husband calling for her.

She turned away just in time for Dick to lean back against one of the many drinks tables and resume the role of the bored host's son. Just in time for Wally West to glance at him as he poured himself a drink. Punch. Non-alcoholic.

Dick glanced across lazily, his flute of prosecco in one hand, but his heart was thudding.

"I haven't seen you at one of these before," he said. His voice sounded too smooth and casual considering the mess that was his insides.

"Oh, I'm, yeah," Wally tripped over his tongue as he looked anywhere but at Dick. "It's my first time."

God, he was bad at thinking on his feet. Dick let the amused smile creep over his face.

"Richard Grayson," he said, holding his hand out - thank his lucky stars it wasn't shaking. He wasn't sure if it was nerves or the sheer adrenaline of talking to his best friend without his best friend even knowing who he was.

"Oh, I'm Wally. Wally West," Wally' s grip was tight and Dick let his hand linger just a second more than was necessary. Wally didn't even seem to notice. "You're Bruce Wayne's son, right?"

"Right," Dick took a sip of champagne. It helped calm his nerves. "So, has the Evil Queen been keeping you locked away?"

"What?"

"It was a – poor joke. I just meant - this is your first time at a Wayne Charity event, right? Who's been keeping you away?"

"N-no one," Wally looked like he didn't know how to respond, and it only widened Dick's smirk. He had gotten so used to their easy banter that seeing Wally unbalanced and unsure was new. "My uncle, he has connections here - but he couldn't make it tonight, so I'm here instead."

"Your uncle?" Dick found himself resisting the urge to smile. There was something satisfying in having a conversation where he knew all of the answers. He finally understood how a cat felt with a ball of string.

"Oh, um, he's - Barry Allen."

"Oh? Cool."

Wally bounced back and forth on the balls of his feet. He was always shuffling, but Dick knew that this time he was feeling the awkward lull in the conversation and was wondering whether it was okay to shuffle back into the crowd.

Dick wasn't about to let that happen.

"You're not missing out on much, actually," he said, maybe a little too quickly.

That caught Wally's attention. He raised an eyebrow, a disbelieving smile dragging the corner of his mouth upwards.

"No? Free caviar, champagne and a bunch of girls? Sounds awful."

"No caviar, actually - Wayne industries refuses to endorse food that comes fundamentally from making animals suffer."

"Oh," Wally's eyebrows shot upwards. The morals of Wayne industries surprised a lot of people. "Cool."

"And I'm not so wild about the girls either," Dick said, carefully.

Wally frowned for a moment, before he understood Dick's tone and his eyes widened with understanding.

"Oh," he said. "Oh."

Dick's smirk returned in full force.

"Damn," Wally was still in awe. "Does - I mean - does Bruce Wayne know?"

Dick wanted to grin and wink and say 'what Bruce doesn't know won't hurt him.' But he couldn't. Just thinking about it made his whole chest feel tight. It was unthinkable.

He lost his nerve and glanced away.

"Oh," Wally said again. He was aiming for the world record of how many times someone could say that in a minute. "Well, I mean, I'm - bi, and my Uncle Barry's fine with it, so - you could always stay with us."

A thrill went through Dick, even though he knew Wally was only joking.

So ,he fixed his charming smile back on and said "I don't know how I'd survive if I wasn't living in a mansion."

Wally barked a laugh like he was a golden retriever.

But Wally was bi. Dick, or Robin, or whoever he was, hadn't known that. There was a strangeness in Dick Grayson knowing something about Kid Flash that Robin didn't. He had to wonder how Wally could come out to a stranger at a party, and not to his best friend.

But then that was exactly what he had just done. Maybe the civilian masks were useful for something after all.

Wally leant back against the table, gingerly picking up a champagne flute. Dick turned to him, leaning his hip against the table and taking another sip and examining how Wally's face looked without the mask. He had a lot more freckles than Dick had realised. A whole galaxy of them.

"Not that I read trashy gossip magazines, but I thought you were with Barbara Gordon?"

It was Dick's turn to laugh.

"Does Barbara Gordon look like a straight girl to you?"

They both glanced over to where Barbara and Zatanna were talking to Artemis. Babara's hand was on Zatanna's arm as she spoke, standing just close enough than was normal.

Wally looked amazed.

"You two have this whole thing figured out, don't you?"

Dick just smirked in response. It felt like he was letting Wally in on something much more than his identity. This was his whole world - the world that Dick tried to hide as soon as he got into that suit. The world he hated, but seemed a little brighter now that Wally was here.

The music and lights began to dim, leaving the makeshift stage illuminated. Most people turned to it, attentive for the speeches that were about to happen.

Instead, Dick downed his drink, picked up two more and said to Wally, "this will bore you to tears. How about a tour of Wayne Manour instead?"

"Won't you get in trouble?" Wally asked, but his face was like a child's in a candy store.

"It's my house, isn't it?"

And with that, they left the ballroom and headed down the wide hallways of Wayne Manor. Wally was staring at the vases, paintings and extravagant light fittings in awe. It made Dick realise just how opulent his home was. He didn't think he'd ever grow into it.

They drunk more champagne and, thankfully, it went straight to Dick's head. He managed to accost a waiter heading up to the party and, with a charming smirk, managed to get the tray from him. Wally laughed and it made Dick’s chest buzz. It was different, like this, to actually make someone laugh. To have someone genuine and be genuine with.

He was starting to get drunk. He was starting to get the courage to nudge his shoulder against Wally's, or to slip his hand under Wally's elbow to guide him the right way down that corridors.

"It’s - amazing," Wally said.

"You think?" Dick leant against the wall, resting the rim of his glass on his lip. He saw Wally's gaze flicker down and then away. "To me, it just seems big. Empty."

"You mean Bruce Wayne isn't good company?" Wally asked. Dick loved him for it.

"Hypothetically," as long as he was wearing body armour and a mask.

They kept talking, sharing anecdotes back and forth between the two of them. Dick couldn’t remember the last time he had genuinely smiled at one of these events, and every one of Wally’s happy laughs only made him smile more.

"You know, I should," Wally made a vague gesture. “Get back, I guess.”

“You should,” Dick said, looking at Wally from over the top of his champagne glass.  He had lost count of how many he had. “I guess.”

Wally wasn’t moving. He was twisting his wrist so that his champagne swigged around the glass.

“Yeah,” he drew out the word, slowly. His eyes were on Dick’s face, tracing his cheekbones and his nose and finally fixing on his mouth. Those green eyes stayed staring at Dick’s mouth.

He twitched it up in a small smile. “I guess you haven’t seen all of the mansion.”

“No?” Wally’s eyes flickered up to Dick’s dark eyes.

“No,” he downed the rest of the champagne, the bubbles going straight to his head. It was getting to the point where he started to feel like he was floating. He felt dizzy – he wondered if he was walking straight. He wondered if Wally noticed. He left his empty glass sat next to one of Wayne’s ornate vases. “Not yet.”

“Enlighten me,” Wally smiled, hesitating a moment before he placed the glass next to Dick’s.

He started down the corridor. Wally stumbled into him, turned bright red and started to apologise. Dick just laughed – everything seemed funny now – he wrapped an arm around Wally’s back to steady them. A thrill went through him when Wally’s arm settled around his shoulders. His face was tingling.

Dick chose the first cupboard door that he found. They could heart the buzz of the far-off party, but it only stoked the adrenaline in Dick’s chest.

“Yeah,” he said, his hand on the door handle. “I think we missed this one.”

He stepped inside, holding the door open for Wally and kicking a few brooms out of the way.

Wally stepped inside, glancing back at the party. His chest nudged Dick’s as he pulled the door closed. It was pitch black. Dick could only see the shine of teeth and eyes.

“This, Mr Grayson, is a broom cupboard,” Wally whispered.

“A broom cupboard that you haven’t seen,” Dick said. The champagne was still bubbling around in his brain. It made him brave enough to put his hands on Wally’s shoulders. “A broom cupboard that no one goes into.”

“It’s pretty close to the party,” Wally said. His hands hovered over Dick’s waist. It was almost like dancing.

Well, that was so that if they got attacked, they would hear it. It would give them some warning. But it also gave Dick that rush of adrenaline. They could be found easily here. It would mean a lot of consequences, but he was finding it harder and harder to bring himself to care about them.

“Does that bother you?” Dick pressed himself closer.

“It should,” Wally said, his breath was catching. “Maybe I’ve had a glass too many.”

“I like you with a glass too many.”

“I said I wouldn’t drink tonight.”

“You wouldn’t have got through it if you hadn’t. Wayne charity balls can be extremely whelming.”

Wally froze. Dick couldn’t feel his breath on his cheeks. He realised what he said. His heart stopped. In the dark, like this, it would be obvious. Up until now, he had been lucky that Wally hadn’t recognised his voice.

“Say that again?” Wally whispered.

“What?”

“You just – for a moment – it was like-“

It was either reveal his secret identity or kiss Wally West. Both were terrifying, but one slightly less than the other. One, the alcohol in him was telling him to go for. That was what he wanted to do. That was why he had got this drunk.

So there was really only one option,

His hands found Wally’s collar and he curled his fingers around it, smashing his lips into Wally’s.

He paused for a moment, his brain clearly in a state of shock, before his mouth started moving against Dick’s hungrily. Wally’s hands tightened on Dick’s waist, pressing him closer.

Wally was pressed against the wall and Dick was pressed against Wally, his lips tingling. His face felt numb, tingling like it was stung every time Wally touched him. He buried a hand in Wally’s hair, his other hand cupping Wally’s cheek to angle himself. There was only his mouth and Wally’s mouth and the warmth pumping through him in waves.

Dick pulled away slightly, enough so that he could breathe, his breath feeling hot and heavy. He couldn’t stand straight – Wally was the only thing keeping him up. He trailed his mouth down to the corner of Wally’s jaw, peppering the side of his neck with kisses.

Wally’s hands fumbled with his tie, pulling it in a knot away from his collar. Dick undid the top button for him, still attacking his neck with his mouth. He bit down, feeling his pulse between his teeth.

“Robin,” Wally whispered, his hands gripping Dick’s back so hard that it hurt. The name brought him back to reality. He paused, pulled away, panting. “Sorry, it’s Nightwing now – isn’t it?”

He stayed silent. He didn’t have the heart to explain. He didn’t have the heart to ruin the moment.. His heart was pounding in his chest – in his forehead – everywhere.

Wally was kissing him again, his teeth clacking against Dick’s. He let him, feeling as though he was melting. He felt his hands beginning to shake and grabbed Wally’s shirt in his fists.

He lost track of time, he lost his tie at some point, his collar pulled down so that Wally could run his tongue along his collarbone and Dick could taste Wally’s ear. It felt like a mad flurry of mouths – mouths everywhere, desperate to make the most of this moment. These long moments of hot breath and hot skin and everything was hot. It didn’t matter that Wally thought he was Robin. It didn’t matter that he was.

Voices came back to them, sounding as though they were coming from a long tube. They sounded fractured, like they were stuck at the bottom of the kaleidoscope.

“Wally! Where have you disappeared to?”

That was Artemis. Her voice made Wally froze, his hands cupping Dick’s face. There was music too, fainter than the voices. The ball was ending.

“Oh, fuck,” Wally whispered.

“Shh,” Dick wasn’t thinking, he was pressing his hand against Wally’s mouth, listening hard to the footsteps outside the door. This should sober him, he thought. It wasn’t. He still felt fuzzy and he couldn’t separate the moments.

“Wally! We’re going home!”

Zatanna. Wally pressed a hand to Dick’s and for the first time, he wished that he could see him. That he could read his face and figure out what was going on.

“I’m sure he’s just gone to the loo, or something,” Barbara. “He’ll turn up, tomorrow morning.”

“Morning? We can’t just let leave him. He’s not a cat.” Artemis’ voice rose in pitch. Dick felt Wally snickering against his hand and ‘sshh’ed him again, feeling himself dissolve into a fit of giggles. He pressed himself closer and was relieved when the arm around him tightened.

“Sure, I leave Dick places all the time.”

“But that’s Dick Grayson. He’s probably chasing after girls or something.”

“And Wally’s not?” Zatanna asked.

Dick pressed his forehead against Dick’s as they both struggled to contain their laughter. Wally was shaking with the effort of keeping silent.

“Trust me,” Barbara’s voice was quieter now. Now it was a storm of chatter from regular party-goers. “They’ll both show up safe and sound.”

Oh, she knew. She knew completely and utterly what was happening.

Dick stayed there, pressed against Wally in the dark as they listened to everyone pass them. He relaxed his hand, feeling Wally’s breath on his palm. His chest rose and fell against Wally’s.

Eventually, it was dead quiet again. There was a final pair of footsteps, soft muffled steps that Dick recognised at Bruce Wayne’s. He held his breath, his heart pounding in his temples.

The steps paused. Then passed, even slower.

Dick breathed out, slowly, feeling all of his muscles relax individually.

“Fuck,” Wally breathed again. “I – sorry, I thought – Christ, I called you Robin, didn’t I?”

“You did,” Dick said. Neither of them had moved, and he took that as a good sign. Wally was not completely repulsed by him.

“I’m so sorry,” Wally repeated.

“It’s fine. It’s not –“ Dick bit his lip. He had already taken so many risks, he might as well take one more. In for a penny, in for a pound. “He’s your superhero crush?”

“What? No – he’s-“ Wally stopped himself.

“Wally West, I just had my tongue in your mouth five minutes ago, don’t lie to me.”

Wally swallowed and Dick swore he could feel the heat coming from his cheeks. “Yeah, we work together - would it really impress you if I told you I was Kid Flash?”

“I’m sure that���s what you say to all the girls,” Dick said.

“Not – really,” Wally sighed. “I’ve been hanging back a bit. I – had a thing for Artemis for a while, but I – I really like – I can’t get that boy out of my head. Apparently, I’m obsessed enough with him that I’ll think any stranger is him.”

“We’re hardly strangers now.” Dick said, a little defensively. He was still leaning against Wally like a lazy cat.

“I met you tonight.”

There it was. He didn’t know what he had been expecting – this was exactly what would happen – why would he think anything else would? Wally would see this as a fling – a one time make-out at a boring party. It was incredible that he party had gone off without a hitch. Dick had been expecting them to pause and scramble into super suits before going into battle, lips still swollen from their closet rendezvous. Wally probably wouldn’t have given it a second thought – the son of a billionaire playboy making eyes at him and him being drunk enough to go along with it.

But then he had whispered ‘Robin,’ and it was like it had all fallen into place of its own accord. It was like he knew.

Dick wanted to tell him. He wanted to tell him the truth so badly. It was on the tip of his tongue, waiting to be realised into the air. It would clear everything up. It might even put Wally’s mouth back against his own.

Batman had trained him to lie too well.  

“Yeah, you did,” he finally stepped away from Wally. It was like admitting defeat. “Can I at least offer you a nightcap?”

Wally had edged the cupboard door open and a sliver of yellow light appeared down the side of his face. He looked oddly melancholic.

“Sure,” he said, and stepped out of the cupboard.

Dick followed, suddenly feeling exhausted. “You know, Robin would be lucky.”

“Oh yeah?”

Dick just smiled. He led Wally to the smaller kitchen upstairs. The one with the cocktail bar and the alcohol gleaming like jars in a sweetshop behind it. It was minimalist – all black and white. A leather sofa sat opposite wooden blinds that came together to make a pattern of bamboo leaves. They were open, the moon shining through them.

Wally slid onto one of the stools, leaning his elbows on the table, his tie around his neck like an animal pelt.

“Pick your poison,” Dick said, running his fingers along the bottles as he stepped behind the bar.

“Rum,” Wally said, automatically. “Rum and coke – please.”

Dick obeyed. He poured the same for himself, resting it on the bar between them. He’d had enough, his body was screaming at him to stop. He was going to regret this in the morning. He didn’t care.

He shouldn’t be mixing like this.

He didn’t care.

“Hypothetically,” he said slowly, taking a sip and rolling it around his mouth. He could barely taste it. “What if, hypothetically – hypothetically, I was Robin?”

Wally took a long drink. He raised an eyebrow at Dick, self-consciously fiddling with his collar.

“You could be, I guess,” he said. His eyes were unfocused and Dick knew that he was too drunk to be thinking seriously. He was safe, in a way. “He’s very private about his identity. Batman’s rules, or somethin’.”

“In Gotham, you have to be,” Dick shrugged.

“Gotham seems like a rough place to grow up,” Wally downed the rest of the drink. It was like he was drinking to forget.

That was fine, Dick supposed. They would have that twenty minutes in the cupboard. He would have delved into that fantasy and it would be enough. It would give him the strength to leave Wally alone. If there was anything definite he had learnt from being with Batman, it was to not get too close to anyone else. It was difficult enough seeing Bruce get hurt, or Barbara – they were family, but if he saw someone he loved-

He took a large sip.

“It is, yeah,” he said. “Unless you’re privileged, it’s a nightmare. There’s always that underlying fear of getting mugged. Like, yeah, it’s a joke half the time, but you really are pushing it when you’re out late. Almost everyone’s connected to someone who’s been killed in a gang war. It’s all this confusing web of they killed them so we hate them, but we’re in a truce because they saved them.”

“Lucky to be privileged,” Wally helped himself to the rum Dick had left on the side.

“You’re only privileged in Gotham if your parents are part of the mob. If you’re a Falcone or whatever,” Dick said. Wally poured a drink for him too and he let him. “And I’m – not. Didn’t used to be anyway. I used to be a circus kid.”

“Really?” Wally swished the drink around in his glass, looking at Dick from over the top of it. His eyes seemed greener than ever.

“Yeah – age old story, right? My parents got murdered. Bruce picked me out of everyone else in the orphanage. That’s the reason I’m privileged. Chance.”

He was giving away too many clues, he knew, but the rum made his tongue feel loose.

“Damn,” Wally murmured.

“And, of course, I could be kidnapped and held for ransom at any time,” Dick shrugged. It made Wally laugh, but then he frowned.

“You know, that story – the one about the circus - sounds familiar.”

“It’s a Gotham classic.” Dick said. It wasn’t convincing. “What about you?”

“Me and my uncle?” Wally took another long swig. “My dad – he’s alive, so I guess there’s that. When he drunk – he got angry. He drunk a lot.”

“I’m sorry,” Dick said. He hadn’t really known before. Wally hadn’t told Robin, but he’d told Dick Grayson. There was something in that. There was something unsettling that his best friend told him more when he didn’t know it was him. It made him feel guilty, that he was manipulating Wally like this. Not really manipulating, but he was definitely using this as a chance to pry.

“It’s fine,” Wally shrugged. “I prefer living with Uncle Barry. Do you prefer living with Bruce Wayne?”

Dick shrugged. “It has its ups and downs.”

Wally paused. He finished his second drink, resting his head on his hand as he looked at Dick. He took a long, shaky breath.

“Dick – are we ever going to see each other again? After tonight?”

“I don’t know.”

“Hypothetically – say that we won’t,” Wally bit his lip, staring at Dick’s eyes with such an intensity that Dick had to look away. “Can I ask for something slightly ridiculous and slightly weird?”

“You’re not going to tell me you’re into something freaky, are you?” Dick said. “You’re not gunna ask to suck my toes or something?”

“Fuck, no.” And they were both laughing for a moment. Just a moment, before Wally tapped his finger against the bar. “Can I just – pretend you’re Robin? Just for tonight? Maybe it’ll just help me get him out of my head.”

Dick didn’t want to get out of Wally’s head. But the idea was good. The idea meant that he could kiss Wally again. The rum and the champagne made him feel like it was a great idea. It was a perfect ideas.

Because he could kiss Wally again.

“Sure,” he said.

“Great-“ Wally was suddenly grabbing his tie, suddenly pulling him across the bar and pressing their mouths together. He tasted of alcohol – more than before, and his lips moved clumsily. They missed more times than they kissed, tongues slipping in and out and teeth clashing against each other.

Dick needed to get over the bar. He needed to get hold of Wally. But he couldn’t break the kiss.

He hiked his leg up onto the bar, sliding his body across. His knee hit a glass and he heard it shatter on the ground, but couldn’t bring himself to care, because Wally had hold of his waist and he was settling on Wally’s lap. He twined their legs together, his hands on Wally’s shoulders and his mouth against Wally’s cheek. He was making tiny, moaning noises in the back of his throat, he knew, but it was making Wally’s fingers dig into his waist. It was making Wally pull away from his mouth and press his teeth against Dick’s neck.

Dick lost his breath, revelling in Wally’s love bites. The feeling of Wally against the soft skin of his shoulder.

He was losing more buttons from his shirt, he knew. He didn’t care. It was hot in here, and he wanted to feel Wally’s skin against his own.

Wally peeled his own shirt off and Dick found his hands fascinated by his body. The biceps seemed larger to him – his abs seemed smoother and more solid and why hadn’t Dick known about the thin hairs trailing up from Wally’s belly button? He was so solid and there. There was a light sheen of sweat against him and Dick pressed his mouth against Wally’s shoulder.

“We have to move,” Wally murmured.

“Sofa,” Dick murmured back.

Wally stood, lifting Dick effortlessly. He kicked the glass away from them. Dick wrapped his legs around Wally’s back, burying his hands in that ginger hair and hearing his own breath in his ears. He half-fell onto the sofa – dropped by a clumsy Wally. Everything felt clumsy. His hands and mouth didn’t seem to do what he wanted.

Dick tangled his fingers over in Wally’s hair as Wally’s mouth trailed down his chest. He shuddered, feeling him move across him like he was exploring him. Like this was all new – Wally’s tongue just peeking out of his lips.

He paused, resting on his elbows to catch Wally’s mouth in his again, and Wally fell back onto the sofa against him, his hands on Dick’s wrists. They tightened as Dick kissed Wally’s jaw, his legs cradling him.

Wally sighed against him, pressing an open mouth against Dick’s cheek. Dick let his fingers trail down Wally’s bare chest, feeling him quiver at the touch.

“Shit,” Wally whispered. His mouth seemed to be everywhere and Dick loved the feeling of it. Wally was tugging at his belt, his fingers fumbling over it.

Dick’s hands went to his own. He was panting, he felt his breath in every part of his body.

Hypothetically, this would be their only chance.

Tomorrow, he would be Dick Grayson to Wally West again. It would all be back to normal and the dream would end.

So might as well make the most of tonight.