It's going to be another long night

[twiceahero]

Barbara's up late tonight. This isn't really an unusual thing for her.

"United Airways flight 347 should be landing in an hour and a half. He's seated in first class. I recommend you pick him up before he gets through the baggage claim."

She nods to whatever the response is, "Good luck, and I'll be here if you need me again."

Barbara slides her glasses off and pinches the bridge or her nose as the connection closes. She needs more coffee. And maybe an aspirin.

Comments

[blue-bat.livejournal.com]

It looks like Babs may keep the company of psychics, or maybe just men that know her very well. If she just happens to glance at the monitor for her front door, she'll spot a certain Dick Grayson, holding onto two cups of coffee. It may even be her favourite flavour.

Because he's feeling especially mature tonight, he's sticking his tongue out at the camera. Because... of course this is more likely to get him in than knocking.

Why wouldn't it?

[twiceahero.livejournal.com]

Oh, she notices. She notices most things. And she just finished upgrading her security grid so that none of the Bat family can sneak up on her. At least not for another week.

She keys up her intercom, "I hear if the delivery takes more than twenty minutes I don't have to pay."

[blue-bat.livejournal.com]

A week? Give Dick four days, and he'll have it figured out. He's not getting rusty yet!

"What, not even a tip? I suffered to get you this coffee."

Two whole dollars of suffering.

[twiceahero.livejournal.com]

"Hmm..." her tone is considering, "We'll have to see. Maybe if the coffee is any good."

[blue-bat.livejournal.com]

"Well, you'll have to let me in to find out." Dick raises an eyebrow. "Unless you like your coffee stone cold."

[twiceahero.livejournal.com]

The door clicks open, "Hurry up, then. I hate cold coffee. And if it's cold then I can guarantee that you won't get a tip."

[blue-bat.livejournal.com]

Oh, he hurries. And he's very quickly right by her side.

"Hey there, pretty lady," he greets, holding out the cup.

[twiceahero.livejournal.com]

Barbara takes the coffee and offers him a critical look.

She sips and nods in approval. "Okay, here's a tip for you: get more sleep, former Boy Wonder. You look beat." She's grinning though.

[blue-bat.livejournal.com]

Dick can't afford more sleep. All of the hours in a day exist for a reason, and they can't always be wasted on downtime. Especially not when you're the new vigilante in a city chock-full of dirty rats.

"I'm still a couple days away from falling over," he says, with a bit of a humourless smile. "I'll get my sleep then."

[twiceahero.livejournal.com]

Babs opens her mouth to object, then sighs and rolls her eyes helplessly. She knows he won't listen.

"Fine." She leans back, "So, what do you need? You don't usually make the drive to Gotham just for the fun of it."

[blue-bat.livejournal.com]

"What, a guy can't visit the best lady around without earning some suspicion?" And Dick even brought coffee, too! "Maybe I just wanted to see you."

He makes a face at her.

[twiceahero.livejournal.com]

Her smile widens. "Oh, so it's a big favor, is it? I mean, you got out the flattery and everything," she teases.

[blue-bat.livejournal.com]

Dick could play 'beat around the bush' for awhile longer. Or he could just give up, considering that Babs isn't going to let it slip. Besides, he does have to ask sooner or later.

"Seeing as you like this coffee," he starts, "How would you like to have more of it? Say, around noon tomorrow?"

[twiceahero.livejournal.com]

The cup freezes halfway to her mouth and she looks up at Dick. "Look, Dick, I appreciate it, but... We can't..." She sighs, "It's never just a date with you."

[blue-bat.livejournal.com]

"No, no," Dick says, waving his hands a bit frantically. "I don't mean that." That's not to say that he wouldn't like to mean that, but...

"It's my landlord. She keeps trying to get after me, and I keep giving her excuses about a sister. And now she want to meet the sister."

[twiceahero.livejournal.com]

"Clancy?" She frowns, "Your super? What has she been 'getting after you' about?"

[blue-bat.livejournal.com]

Dick exhales heavily. "She wants a date," he says. "She's not the type to take 'no' for an answer."

[twiceahero.livejournal.com]

Barbara considers this for a long minute. "So go out with her. You like her." She shoots him a look that says "I can tell". He's jumps in with both feet emotionally, it's part of his charm, really.

[blue-bat.livejournal.com]

Of course she can tell. Babs can read him like an open book can't she?

He takes another sip of his coffee, possibly as a delaying mechanism. "It got complicated," he says. "Nightwing stuff kept coming up, and I couldn't just explain that to her."

[twiceahero.livejournal.com]

"Oh," she purses her lips, then sighs. "Dick, you realize that this is likely to be nothing more than a temporary solution, right? You're going to have to tell her you're not available at some point..."

[blue-bat.livejournal.com]

"Some point," Dick says, a bit dismissively. "Not right now."


....he doesn't like hurting people. Or shutting doors where maybe he could open them later on.

[twiceahero.livejournal.com]

She shakes her head again. He's going to get into trouble for this one. Just like he always does.

Barbara exhales a long breath, "So... You want me to pose as your sister so that Clancy won't suspect that you keep blowing her off?"