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His last night in Gotham, and Danny had spent most of it trying not to think about it.
He had pizza from the nearby block that evening and a stack of scholarship forms in his bag, people insisting Gotham U's engineering program gave out need-based aid "like candy" if Danny's grades were half as good as he claimed. Danny had laughed it off, but he'd also taken pictures of three separate financial aid pages with his phone, which probably said more than he wanted it to.
Last night here. Then home, then packing, then actually applying to one. Okay. He got this.
The walk back to the hotel felt different this time. Not quite comfortable, but familiar in a way Gotham hadn't been four days ago. He still checked the rooflines out of habit.
He didn't get far before he heard the whistle.
"Hey, pretty thing." One of them... well, there were four, loitering outside a shuttered storefront with the particular boredom of people looking for something to do, pushed off the wall as Danny passed. "Where you goin' in such a hurry?"
Danny kept walking. Fast, but not so fast it looked like fear. Ignore it. New city rule number one.
"Aw, don't be like that." Another voice, closer now, footsteps falling into step behind him. "C'mon, sweetheart, we don't bite. Much."
"I bet we could dip that skinny ass in ways he'd like," someone else said, and the group laughed, low and ugly, and Danny felt his ears go hot with something that felt like disgust.
Seriously? He almost wanted to laugh, except it wasn't funny, because there were four of them and one of him and he was fairly sure "skinny ass" hadn't been a compliment he'd fielded from anyone before, let alone a group of grown men on a dark street. He picked up his pace, jaw tight, refusing to turn around.
That was apparently the wrong move.
A hand closed around his shoulder, yanking him backward hard enough that he stumbled, and Danny's whole body went rigid with the kind of flinch he hated. It had meant how he was to be powerless... to be useless and now came with nothing but his own two fists, which he was under no illusions could take on four guys twice his size.
Okay. Okay think. Groin, eyes, run —
He never got the chance to test any of it.
There was a sharp sound, and then the hand was gone from his shoulder, and its owner was airborne, hitting the pavement a few feet away with a grunt of pained surprise. Robin came down between Danny and the rest of them - even his own scrambled pulse, Danny registered that Robin was furious.
The vigilante was fast. One guy went down clutching his knee - howling. Another took a fist to the jaw hard enough to spin him half around before he hit the ground. The third took one look at what was happening and decided discretion was the better part of valor, hauling his stumbling friends up by their collars and half-dragging them off into the dark, cursing the whole way.
Then it was just the two of them and when he turned toward Danny, his jaw was set in a hard line.
"You," he said, "have got to be kidding me."
"I— what?" Danny's heart was still hammering. "I didn't do anything, they just—"
"I told you to be careful." Robin crossed the distance between them, and up close the anger was aimed at Danny. "Twice in one week. Same city block practically. Did you not learn anything from the mugging, or do you just have a personal vendetta against your own safety?"
"In my defense," Danny said, a little breathless, "I don't think 'get catcalled and then jumped by four guys' was covered in your safety briefing. I believe the warnings were muggers and clowns, very specifically."
"I'm adding it to the list." But some of the tightness eased out of Robin's shoulders as he actually looked Danny over, checking, the anger giving way to something more careful. "You're okay?"
"Little rattled. Nothing bruised except my ego." Danny huffed a breath, trying to laugh it off even though his hands were still faintly shaking at his sides. "Honestly, I didn't even know I was anyone's type. Skinny idiot who almost got knifed earlier this week, apparently very in demand."
Something flickered behind the mask — not quite a laugh, but close. "You say that like it's surprising."
Danny blinked. "I — what?"
"Nothing." Robin's mouth did that same infuriating almost-smile from before, quick and crooked. "You should quickly get home. Preferably before Gotham decides to throw a third thing at you tonight."
"That's — yeah. Good plan." Danny huffed out something that was almost a laugh, adrenaline still fizzing under his skin, made worse rather than better by the fact that Robin was standing close enough that Danny could see the faint scuff on his glove from the fight, the line of his jaw still tight with leftover tension on Danny's behalf. "This is my last night here, actually. Heading home tomorrow."
Something shifted in Robin's expression — quick, there and gone, something that might've been disappointment if Danny let himself hope that hard. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. Gotta pack, apply for university, the whole responsible-adult thing." Danny rocked back on his heels, feeling reckless in the aftermath the way he apparently always did around this particular vigilante. "Guess this really might be the last time I get personally rescued by Gotham's finest."
"You say that like you're planning on making a habit of it."
"Would it be so bad if I did?" Danny asked, before his brain caught up with his mouth, which seemed to be a running theme with this man. "Getting into trouble, I mean. If it means you keep showing up."
Robin went very still for a second, and Danny thought he might've actually managed to fluster the unflappable local hero, before the corner of his mouth curved up, slow and warm. "That an invitation?"
"Depends. Are you taking it?"
"Depends if you're actually coming back." There was something almost soft under the teasing now, something that made Danny's chest go beating fast and warm all at once.
"I'm applying for Gotham U tomorrow," Danny admitted, quieter now. "So. Probably. If they'll have me."
"They'd be idiots not to." It came out fast, almost like Robin hadn't meant to say it that plainly, and Danny watched something like surprise flicker across his own face reflected in the tilt of Robin's head.
Neither of them moved.
Danny was suddenly, acutely aware of how close they'd drifted without either of them quite deciding to.
Robin didn't step back. Neither did Danny.
The moment sat there between them, charged and a little dizzying, and Danny, being the reckless, adrenaline-drunk idiot closed the last of the distance between them and pressed a quick kiss to Robin's cheek, right at the edge of the domino mask.
"Thanks," he said, voice not quite steady, "for the rescue."
He pulled back to find Robin utterly, completely still. His mouth slightly parted, masked eyes wide in genuine shock.
Danny felt his whole face go hot, immediate and mortifying. "Sorry, that was — I don't know why I did that, I should—"
"No." Robin's voice came out rougher than before, and the stunned look was already melting into something pleased, something almost boyish under all that composure. "No, t-that's fine, actually."
"Fine?"
"Yap." And there it was again, that crooked smile, wider now, unguarded. "Get home safe, Danny. Apply to that school."
"I will." Danny's face was still burning, but he couldn't stop smiling either, something helpless and giddy blooming under his ribs. "See you around, Robin?"
"Count on it."
And then he was gone, grapple line hauling him up into the dark, cape snapping once against the skyline before he vanished between the rooftops — but not before Danny caught one last glimpse of him glancing back, just once, like he wanted to memorize the moment before it slipped away.
Danny stood there in the empty street, fingers pressed lightly to his own cheek, heart doing something entirely undignified.
"Okay," he said out loud, to no one, grinning like an idiot. "Yeah. I'm definitely applying."
He turned and started walking again, almost hopping in his steps, sneakers scuffing against the pavement while his brain replayed the whole thing on an endless loop
It took about half a block for the euphoria to curdle into something closer to panic.
Wait.
Danny stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk.
I should get his number. But am I even qualified to get his number?! I am no longer- Is he- stop. Stop. Bad thought there!
Not that he'd expected Gotham's resident vigilante to hand out a business card, obviously. Hi, thanks for saving me from four guys, and we just met! So here's my number, text me when you're free between crime-fighting. That wasn't how any of this worked. Robin was a secret identity. The whole deal and Danny wasn't an idiot; he knew the rules of this genre even if he'd never expected to star in one.
But still.
He turned the corner toward the hotel, still muttering to himself, and told himself firmly that this was fine, that he'd applied to Gotham U tomorrow regardless of whether a masked stranger factored into the decision, that this whole thing was a very small, very contained fantasy he could tuck away and smile about later without needing it to go anywhere.
He almost believed himself.
Then his phone buzzed in his pocket.
Danny was startled hard enough that he nearly dropped it, fumbling it out with clumsy fingers, half convinced it was Tucker, Marcus or his sister or literally anyone normal.
It was a text. From an unknown number.
this isn't such a bad idea. gotham u has a decent robotics lab and engineering programs - be sure to check them out. — R
Danny stood frozen on the sidewalk, staring at the screen, heart doing something loud and stupid in his chest.
How—
He didn't even bother finishing the thought. He was too busy grinning like an absolute fool at his phone, thumbs already moving.
Danny: how did u get my number???
Unknown: i have my methods.
Danny: this is illegal u know
Unknown: relax. i didn't hack the Pentagon. just a hotel wifi network and a phone that still had Bluetooth on.
Danny: that is SO much worse than a threat, that's a confession
Unknown: technically i just wanted to make sure you got to the hotel safe. the number was a bonus.
Danny: you're supposed to be protecting Gotham's tourists, not running black ops on their phones
Unknown: multitasking. very efficient use of a patrol.
Danny laughed out loud, alone on the sidewalk, and didn't even care how it must've looked.
Unknown: apply to the school, Danny.
Danny: already planning on it.
Unknown: good.
There was a pause and then one more message came through.
Unknown: for what it's worth. i'm glad you got mugged that first night.
Danny: that is the weirdest and most romantic thing anyone's ever said to me
Unknown: I am just that charming
Unknown: goodnight, Danny.
Danny stood there under the streetlight for a good minute after that, phone held loosely in his hand, grinning like an idiot.
"Yeah," he said, to the empty street, to Gotham, to whatever ridiculous stroke of luck had put in his path.
He was definitely applying to Gotham U tomorrow.