Leaned against the railing of the rooftop and staring out over the city as the cool night air bit at your skin felt just a little bit more cold tonight. The glow of Gotham's lights flickered below, but they couldn't chase away the dark thoughts that clouded your mind. You had tried to shake it off, but every time Richard was around Barbara, you felt a pang in your chest, a familiar ache that had only grown stronger with each passing day.

It had been months since you and Dick started dating, and while everything had seemed perfect at first, things had started to shift in subtle, unsettling ways. He had always been close to Barbara — that was something you knew when you first met him. But recently, it felt like the bond between them had deepened. They had been through so much together, fighting side by side, and the way they interacted, the way they spoke to each other... it made you feel like you were just a distraction. Like you were the one who didn’t belong.

You weren’t jealous, or at least you didn’t want to be. You trusted Dick. You knew he cared about you. But the quiet moments where he would zone out while talking to Barbara, or the long hours they spent alone training together in the cave, left you feeling more like an afterthought.

Sighing, you pushed yourself away from the railing and walked toward the stairs, your mind racing with thoughts you couldn’t quite control. You needed space. You needed to clear your head.

But before you could reach the door, you heard his voice.

“Hey, you alright?”

Dick was standing at the top of the stairs, his eyes soft but concerned. The moment you saw him, the weight in your chest doubled. How could you explain how you were feeling without sounding irrational? Without making him feel guilty for something you weren’t sure he even realized?