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The situation was finally hitting him now that it was just him, Lian, and his way-too small apartment.
It was finally hitting him that he was responsible for her. This tiny baby girl who he had only really just met and in no way had prepared for.
He was going to need to get a new apartment. And also something to feed her and a bed for her and those two things really needed to be organized ASAP despite the fact the new place was also going to need to be found somewhat soon as well. A tiny one-bedroom apartment, basically the poor-man's version of a bachelor pad, no place to fit him and a pup in.
But it wasn't like he had any other option. He couldn't just leave her with Jade and Jade's lifestyle and her refusal to stop being a mercenary. Jade agreed that he was probably the better option to parent Lian right now considering how she still traveled the whole world for wok and he stayed in one place. Which thankfully meant the whole thing hadn't gone down without too much of a fight.
Still just because he was the better option doesn't mean he was a good one.
Which leaves him sitting on his couch with this tiny pup that's completely dependent on him wondering just how the hell he's going to do it.
The knock on the door startles him but then he remembers he had basically invited Dick to come visit and meet his daughter. So he calls for Dick to just come-in because even if he did lock the door it wouldn't stop an apprentice of Batman and he really doesn't want to move now that Lian has stopped crying and somewhat settled.
"Hey," Dick says once he's inside the apartment although Roy can see his attention is hardly on him and entirely on Lian. "How are you doing?"
"Fine, stressed, it's ah... it's a lot." There's too much trust between him and Dick, as tense as it is at times, for him to lie about that. He might not fully trust Dick to be telling the full truth on a mission but when it comes to stuff like this he knows Dick will always be there for him, like he always tries to be there for Dick.
"I can imagine," Dick says, sitting next to him, and his eyes are still all-but trained on Lian, only briefly glancing up at Roy's face to read his expression at times. "Can I hold her?"
"Sure," Roy says because, again, he trusts Dick. Not that he would ever think Dick capable of doing any harm to a pup anyway.
Lian watches Dick's face carefully as she's passed over him. Almost as she is analyzing him herself and god does Roy hope she doesn't start crying again.
"Hey Lian," Dick says as she's settled into his arms, "I'm your uncle Dick."
Dick grins down at her and once she seems somewhat settled with him brings one of his hands over to gently bop her nose. She gives the tiny basically-a-blink-flinch babies do and then her hands reach out to grab hold of Dick's. Tiny fingers curling around his and tugging it up.
Dick allows her to direct his movements although seems surprised when she stops once his wrist is in front of her face. Her nose gently pressing against the inside of it.
"Must like your scent," Roy says and gives a small laugh. Because, yeah, he gets it. Dick has always smelt good to him ever since he presented. The omega scent he gained one that is easily appealing and always made Roy sad whenever Dick was wearing scent-blockers as Robin or Nightwing. Apparently his babygirl inherited the same attracted to it.
"Is that it Lian? You like how I smell?" Dick asks gently moving his wrist to rub it along her nose almost simulating a scenting, causing her to giggle and grin. "Yeah?"
Dick picks her up and places her against his chest. Letting her head rest in the crook of his neck right next to the gland where his scent will be the strongest. And Lian babbles happily at it which makes Dick grin.
"You're the only omega she's met apart from Jade," Roy says in explanation. Although he's half-convinced his daughter just somehow managed to inherit his attraction to Dick's scent.
"Huh," Dick says gently bouncing her, "I was worried it'd make her nervous because it's so foreign to her."
"Dick when will you accept that nobody will ever find your scent nerve-inducing?" Dick gives him a salty look in response, his scent mulling at his dislike, although even in that it hardly smells mulled.
And it's then that Roy realises that Dick's scent has changed since walking into the apartment. Because its current 'mulled' state is closer to what Dick smells like normally. When it returns to its baseline state Roy realises it's just so much sweeter than what it is normally. And the only possibly cause of it is the baby that's currently happily nuzzling against Dick's neck.
Dick's scent reacted to Roy's child.
Not just reacted, but immediately turned sweeter, turned calming. The way a mother's scent turns about their pup.
No wonder Lian is so comfortable with it. Roy doesn't even remember Jade's scent going that sweet to her.
But Dick's- Dick's is the sweetest it's ever been. And stronger too. His body just pumping out the scent to keep the baby he's got calm and happy. And Lian's baby-scent is responding in toe to be the sedate-milky one that she seemed to have lost once Jade's scent completely faded from her.
Roy knows it’s going to be hard to let Dick go home now.
"Uncle Dick!" Lian yells the second Dick enters the apartment, coming running from where she was supposed to be eating breakfast to basically throw herself at him.
Dick catches her with the ease he has picked up from it being the habit since about as long as Lian could walk. Swinging her around quickly before pulling her close to nuzzle into her. Lian nuzzles back and Roy can see his little girl taking in a deep breath of Dick's omega-scent.
"How have you been?" Dick asks Lian as he walks further into the apartment. Still easily holding her in his arms and close to his neck. Giving her a small nuzzle with his words that causes her to laugh and nuzzle back.
And Dick's scent is turning sweeter by the moment. Responding to the scent of a pup that doesn't have any other omega around and becoming all kinds of calming and maternal.
And fuck if Roy doesn’t want to bury his face on the other side of that neck to his baby girl and take a good breath.
He doesn't. Because he won't be that alpha that just sees Dick as an omega. He's known Dick for too long. Known him since before he presented. And has been the person Dick complained to about alphas suddenly treating him like some baby-making-thing instead of a person. Complained about how so many of his conversations turned into attempts to get him into bed with them instead what the topic it was actually about. And Roy is not going to be like them.
"She was supposed to be having her breakfast right now," Roy says with his arms crossed and, damn it, Lian just hides against Dick's shoulder all coy-like at the accusation. Making Dick croon down at her in comfort despite the fact everyone in the room knows Roy is hardly mad at her for it.
"Come on, you can sit on my lap while you finish it," Dick says giving Lian a little bounce that brings the glee back onto her face. And it's even more unfair how easily Dick can make the girl laugh and smile - Roy knows Lian loves Dick and that makes his stupid crush even harder because he keeps just seeing them as a family.
"Just so long as she actually eats and you don't distract her," Roy says as if there was any other option than 'yes'. As if he could actually say no to the two of them when there were like that - Lian looking that cute and Dick smelling that sweet.
Roy snorts and rubs against his nose because damn does Dick just pump out that scent when he's got Lian.
"You okay?" Dick asks as he walks by. Coming that bit closer to check on Roy. Which just brings the scent closer and fuck it's hard for Roy to not get the more obvious reaction to it. Hard for him to fight the urge to lean into it.
"Yeah, just, got some dust up my nose." Roy quickly moves back to the kitchen to stop Dick from noticing any movement in his pants at the scent. Because Roy will not be that alpha. And he doesn't want Dick to ever think he's just interested in him for sex.
"You need to vacuum this place more," Dick jokes back as he carries Lian to the table and sits her down on his lap. Dragging her plate over so it's in front of him.
"Like you're one to talk, I've seen you're place," Roy replies trying not to think of his babygirl happily eating her breakfast while sitting on Dick's lap. Trying not to think about how domestic it is and how much he wants that to be every morning. "You want anything to eat yourself?"
"No, I'm not that hungry."
So Roy just puts together his own plate of food and joins them at the table. Watching Dick idly rub his face against Lian's hair as she happily eats her food. He's trying to rub his scent onto her, which is fine seeing Lian doesn't have any other omega in her life currently and an omega's scene is good for children. It's just also torture for Roy to watch because it makes Lian smell all like Dick and him mixed together and that makes him think about Dick and him and how good it would be to be together.
Dick leans over and breaks off a bit of his toast to eat. "Hey! I thought you said you weren't hungry!"
"Wasn’t that hungry," Dick corrects, "plus you didn't seem to be with us so I figured you wouldn't even notice."
Lian laughs at it and leans over to steal her own bit of Roy's toast despite having her own perfectly good slice on her plate.
"See that - you're making a thief of my daughter." Dick is an influence on his daughter. Which is obvious - Dick's her uncle, of course, she will copy him at times. But the sweet-scent Dick picks up around Lian just seems to thicken at it which makes Roy have to shift his legs to try and stop his anatomy thickening at it.
"Lian you know you can only steal from daddy right?" Dick asks, leaning down to gently brush against her cheek with his words and she giggles and squirms at it and Dick just grins and the scent just thickens and fuck. Roy's. Life.
"But you can steal from daddy too," Lian replies.
"Yeah, but that's 'cause Roy's sweet on me. Aren't you Roy?" Dick asks and fuck it does he know? Does he know that Roy would let him do just about anything right now if it meant he got to keep him close? If it would get him to move in and be Lian's parent instead of uncle?
"Not sweet enough to let you do it again." Bluffing his way out of it seems to be the best option despite how much he wants to say 'yes of course'.
"Yeah, is that a challenge?" Dick says and his eyes gain the intensity of Nightwing and damn it why does that make Roy even more attracted to him? Why can't he be sweet on the omega next door who tells him how cute Lian is every-time they pass? Why does he have to be sweet on his best friend who runs around the city as a fucking superhero with no powers.
Lian says something that brings Dick's attention back on her and his scent regains the sweet edge. And yeah - that's why.
Roy still doesn't know how this is his life.
He's sitting on his couch stitching up Dick's side because the asshole showed up on his doorstep all-but bleeding out and looking like he was about to faint still in his full Nightwing get up. So not only does Roy have to deal with what's happening now he also has to deal with the fact the neighbours are almost certainly going to talk about it tomorrow.
How did this become his life?
"Why didn't you go home to the bat to stitch you up?" Roy asks as he works on cleaning around the wound to make sure there isn't anything in it that might lead to an infection.
"Too much travel. Faster to just come here," Dick replies with a winces as Roy pokes the injury a little harder than he absolutely needs to but serves him right for being a suicidal idiot.
"How did this even happen?" Because Dick still hadn't told him the full story when he showed up. Not that Roy had exactly quizzed him that closely when he opened the door to him clutching his side and looking guilty and pathetic. Even with his scent totally blocked Dick can still tug on his heart-strings better than all but his daughter.
"Was looking into a case, got a knife pulled on me by what I thought was a squatter."
"Wasn't a squatter?"
"If it was it was a squatter with impressive blade-handling skills," Dick says with a look that means the case just got a whole lot more complicated than originally planned. And Roy refuses to let himself get dragged into it. No matter how much he wants to make sure Dick doesn't get himself stabbed again.
The sound of footsteps running across the floor is the only warning they get that Lian is apparently awake and curious as to what is happening. Although Roy can't really blame her for that bit - she probably heard Dick's voice through the apartment and he knows how fond of him she is.
"Uncle Dick?" Lian asks quietly from the side of the couch. Her face and scent fill with concern when she realises he’s injured.
"Hey Lian," Dick says, opening up his other hand to give her space to cuddle up next to him. And she takes it. Presses close to him for comfort and reassurance. Dick gently presses his forehead against hers while Roy keeps working on the very important task of making sure he doesn't end up dead on the both of them.
Lian shifts to press even closer to Dick, moving up to nuzzle against his neck before her nose curls and she pushes away. Her scent turning sour in dislike. "You don't smell like anything!"
"No, I don't," Dick says, moving the arm that Roy is working under to pick off the scent-blocker on his neck.
"Can the patient please stay still while I'm sticking a needle in him," Roy say shooting Dick a look because he's pretty good at playing nurse-maid for suicidal superheroes these days but it sure is cleaner work when they cooperate with him.
"Yeah, sorry," Dick says but he still keeps moving the arm to show Lian the little sticky-patch he wears. And Roy would be much more annoyed if it was anyone else but Lian that was making Dick keep moving as he tries to sew up his side. "I wear scent-blockers while I'm out as Nightwing, that way nobody knows the designation I actually am."
"Why?" Lian asks and Dick shoots Roy a look. Because there are many reasons why he made the choice to do that, some to do with the fact that too many crooks would think an omega-superhero an easy target for terrible acts.
"It helps with the image of mystery around Nightwing. And also makes it harder for people to figure out who I actually am - so long as they don't know the designation of Nightwing I could be anyone in the population. Once they know I'm an omega it cuts it down to about a third."
Lian stares at the blocker intently, clearly thinking over what she has been told and everything she knows about superheroes and their identities from her life so-far of being raised amongst them.
"I still don't like it," she declares, "but I understand."
"I'm glad you do," Dick says despite the fact that even as soft as he is on Lian she wouldn't be able to actually convince him to stop doing it.
She nuzzles in close again and presses her face against his neck, this time actually catching his scent. She aggressively nuzzles against him, clearly in play, but it makes Dick laugh and causes him to move on Roy again.
"Damn it! Stay still or I swear I'll tie you down!" He's nearly done but he would have been done earlier if Dick had of stayed still the whole time.
"Maybe later," Dick responds immediately because apparently he wants Roy to stitch up his moving side while aroused.
"I'll gag you as well." Roy glances up to Dick's face to see if there is any reaction on his part for the dumb flirtatious teasing but Dick's attention is still all-but focused on Lian. Apparently content to just leave Roy work and not actually thinking that much about what is coming out of his mouth or how it might be affecting those around him.
So - standard Dick Grayson flirting.
Roy tugs the next stitch a bit tighter than absolutely necessary in revenge.
"You're going to be okay right?" Lian asks when Dick gives a wince at it.
"'course," Dick says running his hand through her hair to calm her and the distress that is filling her scent. His scent while not as sweet as it could be in account of his injuries still strong and calming to try and keep her content. "You're daddy's just being a bit rough on me this time."
"You deserve it," Roy says back immediately and before Lian can get a chance to defend him.
Dick just gives a hum and closes his eyes. His hand still running through Lian's hair and she is still pressed close to his side taking deep breathes of his scent. Roy knows he isn't actually asleep nor even drifting towards it but it sure is a good play of it.
"Just don’t die okay?" Lian mutters against Dick's neck. "Daddy and I need you."
Roy's hands can't help but still at the admission from his daughter. When he braves a glance up Dick's eyes are wide open as well and shit. A couple of seconds later Dick's form relaxes again.
"Don't worry Lian, I'll be around to keep your daddy in-line for a while yet." And Roy wishes he could keep him around always to help him. He can't though because he can't risk ruining their friendship for the potential of something more. Can't risk chasing Dick out of Lian's life just because he wants to have him in his life more.
"Good," Lian says before settling again against Dick's side. And Dick finally stills to let Roy finish up. Let Roy make sure he isn't going to die on them for a least a little while longer.
"Hey uncle Dick?" Lian asks from where she has somehow managed to clamber into his lap while Roy helps Dick look over a case of his. And she shouldn't even be here at all seeing Roy's hard-rule of her not being exposed to much to the violence that filled the cities. But this one is just a string of bank robberies with no casualties or even injuries more than a couple of bruises and Dick had joined her in batting eyelashes when she had asked if she could just stay with him. And, damn them, Roy was too sweet on them both to be able to say no.
"Yeah baby girl?" Dick asks because apparently he's picked up Roy's nickname for her. He leans down to gently scent along her hair. And Roy just ignores them to reach across the table and grab a pen to make a note.
"When are you and daddy going to have a baby?" Lian asks and Roy's glad the table is a sturdy one because the way his hand hits it would have broken it in two if not.
"Lian!" He shrieks because oh god he does not want Dick to know how much he's been thinking about having a baby with him.
"What?" Dick asks face bright red.
"All my friends at school have siblings and I want one!" Lian says and if a villain could just attack the house right now and kill Roy that'd be great.
He looks across the table at Dick for maybe some help but Dick just looks equally embarrassed and horrified. Which just - great.
"Well?" Lian basically demands.
"Ah," Roy says, glancing at Dick again despite the fact it was clear he was going to be no help at all. So he sends a look that hopefully reads apology. "Sorry baby girl I don't think you're going to get a sibling for a while."
And Lian sulks at it and her scent turns just that bit distressed and Dick goes into protective-omega mode at it just to fuck with Roy that bit more.
"We just can't rush these things Lian," Dick says as his scene pumps out calming pheromones.
"But you will soon right?"
"Ah," and now Dick's stuck as well, which Roy should feel a bit vindicated at but he's too busy being equally horrified.
Roy should not have allowed them to convince him to watch that last movie. But it was a trilogy and they were already two movies in and when the two sets of puppy-eyes turn on him he always struggles to say no.
Now though he has the combined weight of Dick and Lian leaning on him. The two of them having drifted off during the movie - Lian using Dick as a pillow and Dick using Roy in-turn. The only reason Roy didn't follow them was because Dick's hair and scent was right under his nose and it took every bit of Roy's self-control to keep himself from becoming hard because Dick might feel it pressed up against his back.
The movie was finally over now though and there was no way Roy was going to be able to sleep with the thought of morning wood and Dick still pressed up against him. If it wasn't for that he'd probably leave them as is – enjoy how domestic the moment is. His two favorite people cuddled up against him and each other, with Dick's scent the relaxed-sweetness he gains when he's around Lian for hours and Lian’s heavy with content-pup.
When Roy feels himself starting to get hard he decides he has to get up now and not when his erection manages to wake Dick up and have to deal with that.
Dick wakes nearly as soon as Roy goes to move. It's a sleepy-wake which is a sign of just how much Dick trusts him and the safety of his apartment that he doesn't jolt awake like he does in most situations. But it's still a wake-up and Roy is glad that he did it before he got anymore aroused because Dick would have no doubt felt and that would be a terrible way to lose his attempts to not ruin everything by having Dick find out just what he thought of him. Having Dick find out where he wished their relationship could lead to.
"Movie's over, I'm going to take Lian to bed if you want to go brush your teeth or piss," Roy whispers to Dick before picking up his babygirl and carrying her to bed. She stirs a little when he goes to cover her with a blanket but settles back down to her slumber soon enough.
When Roy returns he finds that Dick has curled up on the couch as if to fall asleep there.
"Come on, to bed for you as well," he says, poking Dick lightly to wake up him but not startle him.
"I can just sleep here," Dick replies with a stretch.
"No way, I'm not having my guest just sleep on the couch when there's a perfectly good bed for him."
"You make Wally sleep on the couch all the time," Dick replies with a dryer look than should be possible.
"Yeah, but that's Wally. You're taking my bed." Dick's too tired to argue it so Roy basically leads him to the bedroom. Pulling the sheets back with one hand as he guides Dick into the bed. Roy will just sleep in the guest-room and hope that once again Dick won't notice that decision and the implication of Roy trying to get Dick to sleep in the room most carrying Roy's scent over the almost-stale-cleanness of the guest room.
He goes to leave only to have his hand caught. "Hey Roy?"
"Yeah Dick?"
"You know I love you right?" Dick says.
"Sure, I love you too." More than Dick should ever know he does.
"No, Roy, look at me," Dick demands sleepily and Roy really needs to start reteaching himself how to say no to him again because damn him he does. "I really love you, and I love Lian, and I want to stay with you both."
"Dick you're tired, go to sleep." Roy tries to ignore the sincerity in Dick's eyes because it can't be possible that Dick feels for him the way he feels for Dick. It's just... Dick is such a prize of a person, prize of an omega. And Roy is the fuck-up who had a kid with a villain while 'teen' was still in his age.
"No, Roy, don't do that, I need you to know," Dick says pushing himself up from the bed and trying to drag Roy closer. And Roy just lets him because this is probably just a dream anyway and he'll wake up to find out he's drifted off on the couch with the others.
"I haven't told you because I didn't want to ruin anything, didn't want to never see Lian because you didn't want me around anymore," Dick mutters, pressing his head against Roy's chest and Roy should not be letting him do this right now. He should let Dick get some sleep and go to the guest room.
He wants to know where this is going too much to do that.
"But I love you and I love her and I hate when I have to leave because I just want to help you with her always," Dick continues.
"Dick-" Roy starts although he doesn't know what he's going to say.
He doesn't have to find words though because Dick's mouth is on his and Dick is kissing him. And look, Roy was never known to be strong on the self-control side of things, so he kisses back.
Kisses back and let's Dick pull him into the bed after him. Braces himself on his arms over Dick so he can lean down and kiss him some more.
"You have no idea how much I wanted this," he confesses against Dick's cheek once they break apart for air. Their mouths meeting again immediately after.
"Should of said something," Dick says when they break apart again. This time he just gently presses his cheek against Roy's to scent him a little and nearly drives Roy mad in it. Drives him mad from just how close Dick's scent is to him. Drives him mad in the fact it's changed to one that clearly reveals where Dick wants this to keep going - inciting and needy and Roy wants to give him everything he ever wants.
"Didn't want to ruin things."
Dick gives a laugh at that, light and easy, and Roy just wants him more. "We're both messes."
"We are," Roy agrees but Dick is pulling him close again and their mouths are against each other and their hands working on removing their clothes.
"We should really talk about this," Roy says because they should. Actually talk about it and not just take it on their tired-confessions.
"In the morning," Dick says and starts working on Roy's pants and there is no way, no way, Roy is going to argue with that right now.
"In the morning," Roy agrees before tugging Dick's shirt off and finally being able to put his mouth on the skin he's wanted to since they were teenagers.
It takes them a while more before they actually get any sleep themselves.
“Hey Lian,” Dick says as he helps her with her homework, while Roy starts working on dinner in the kitchen. Their afternoon routine that gives them both something to do and keeps Dick away from preparing food. It also gives Roy a chance to just enjoy listening to his mate and pup interact without any expectation to include himself. “Do you remember when you asked us for a sibling?”
Roy certain does. Remembers how mortifying it had been when she had asked considering he and Dick weren’t even together at the time. How terrified he was that Dick would figure out his true feelings about him.
Dick knows about his feelings now though so at least accidental outings no longer a concern.
“Yeah,” Lian replies, her attention still mostly on her math.
“Well in about 8 months’ time you’re going to get one.”
Roy nearly cuts his hand open when he misses the carrot. Not that he really even processes it. Instead running to the dining room table where Lian and Dick are.
“Baby?” is the only word he can get his tongue to form and even then it sounds more like him choking than an actual word. “You, me, baby?”
And Dick laughs at him, because he had to have known Roy would hear and had taken the chance to tease him. Roy really struggles to be mad at him for it. “Yeah, Roy, we’re having a baby.”
Roy closes the distance and picks Dick up in a hug. Presses his nose against Dick’s neck as he lets him down and Dick’s scent has changed a little. And holy shit the reason for it is that he’s carrying Roy’s baby. Carrying their pup.
Lian shoves herself between them and Roy picks her up so she can press close and scent Dick as well.
“You’re going to be a big sister,” he tells her as Dick gently scents her back.
“Promise I’ll do a good job,” Lian says completely serious and Dick presses his forehead against hers.
“’Course you will,” Dick says before tickling her to make her laugh.
Their family is going to get bigger. And Roy knows he’s going to be grinning about the news for weeks.