"I thought you were better than this, Roy."

Dick’s voice was like a whip crack in the damp air of the alley. He stood with his arms crossed, his Nightwing suit slick with rain, jaw set in a line of pure, righteous disappointment.

Roy didn't look up from where he was checking the tension on his bowstring. "Better than what, Dick? Better than being five minutes late to a patrol? My heart bleeds."

"Don't deflect. I saw you ten minutes ago." Dick stepped into the pool of light under the flickering streetlamp. "On that rooftop. You were with someone. And it wasn't the person I’ve seen you with on missions."

Roy froze, the mechanical click of his quiver's dial echoing in the silence. He suppressed the urge to smirk. The 'person' Dick had seen him with on missions was you—masked, armored, and currently the only person who kept Roy’s head on straight.

"You saw me kissing someone," Roy said, his tone flat. "So what?"

"So what?" Dick’s voice rose an octave. "You’ve been telling me for months that you’re finally in a serious relationship. I’ve seen the way you talk about them. And then I see you pinned against a chimney by some civilian in a hoodie? You’re cheating on a hero who actually trusts you, Roy. That’s low, even for you."

Roy finally looked up, his red lenses catching the light. He thought about you—how you had laughed against his mouth when he’d pulled you into that "civilian" kiss, your suit hidden in a backpack nearby. He thought about the secret the two of you had kept just to see how long it would take the 'World's Greatest Detective' to figure it out.

"It wasn't a civilian, Dick," Roy said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous rumble that masked his amusement.

"I know what I saw! They weren't in uniform. They didn't even have a mask on."

Roy stepped forward, closing the gap until he was inches from Dick’s cowl. "Maybe you should spend less time watching me through binoculars and more time wondering why your 'best friend' doesn't want to introduce you to the love of his life yet."

"I'm not going to let you break their heart," Dick hissed.