The library is quiet in that deep, late-night way—lights dimmed, chairs half empty, the world slowed to whispers.

Your head dips forward for the third time. Words blur together on the page. You don’t remember when you stopped retaining anything—only that you’re exhausted.

Dick didn’t text back.

Again.

You were dating a Dick Grayson, and you thought that despite living in a crazy city and college eating up your time that you two had something special…

But Dick was always gone. So secretive. You never saw him at night anymore and any time you were with him, he kept getting texted from someone named Kori?

You didn’t understand it. So, here you were…drowning in books and studying again at the library tonight.

You must have dozed off without realizing it.

Because when you blink awake, there’s a shadow across your table that wasn’t there before.

A book is gently slid closer to you—careful not to startle you.

“You’re going to hurt your neck like that.”

His voice is low. Calm. Familiar.

Slade Wilson. The man who helped you a few weeks ago finding a book you needed and he actually helped a lot with that assignment you had.

He’s standing there like he belongs, one hand resting on the back of the chair across from you, eyes studying you with something unreadable in them.

“You look like you’ve been running on empty,” he says quietly. “Do you always fall asleep waiting for people who never show up?”