Siren's Song

Siren's Song
Chapter 3


By the time Will dropped Connor off at Dick’s apartment, both men were barely capable of speaking to each other.

Looking at each other was definitely out of the question.

And touching each other? Well, it would have been impossible as they left at least three feet of space between each other at all times. They didn’t dare even breathe the other’s air, though Connor did catch himself more than once leaning close enough to absorb a hint of Will’s musky soap and sweat scent. He would immediately draw back before the other man noticed, but that one little whiff was enough to keep the embers glowing in his veins instead of dying out, as they should have.

The two men sat in the truck for five minutes, not making a move. Connor wanted to escape into the building, but also never wanted to leave. Will alternately prayed that Connor would either climb out of the truck, or climb over him. Finally, they parted with a hasty goodbye and Will sped off without looking back, needing to reach his apartment and an icy cold shower as soon as physically possible. Connor stared wistfully after the disappearing truck, then headed inside with a similar goal in mind.

“Hey, where’ve you been?”

Though not one easily startled, Connor jumped nearly three feet in the air at hearing Dick’s voice. He quickly turned and shot his friend a nervous smile. “Will was kind enough to let me tag along after him today.”

Dick’s nose wrinkled as he stood up from the sofa. “He dragged you around to all those construction sites?”

“It was actually quite interesting to watch him work. He has such a passion for his job, and he knows it all. The way his eyes light up when he talks about the different styles of architecture, the way he gets excited about the tiniest things, like the molding along walls, or wiring an old gas lamp for electricity--I’ve never seen anyone so in love with their work.”

Sensing rather than seeing the odd stare Dick was giving him, Connor flushed and tried to find a way to explain himself that wouldn’t sound quite so suspicious.

“It’s just that he has such a different life from what we have. We’re dedicated to our work. We have a purpose and we try to fulfill it, and whether we like it or not, we are our jobs. Will. . . it’s different for him. It’s like he’s seduced by his.”

Chuckling, Dick shook his head, patting his friend on the arm as he walked by. “I can tell he’s made quite an impression on you.”

“You’re a very lucky man,” Connor said softly, and at that, Dick gave him a sharp look. He wished he could read what was hiding behind his friend’s impassive face, but Connor’s Buddhist upbringing made him virtually indecipherable. It was only his voice that gave him away.

“Where is Will, anyway?” Dick asked.

“He thought we’d want a chance to catch up, so he went home.”

“He didn’t come upstairs?”

“He didn’t think you’d be back yet. He did say he’d call you later.”

Dick was quiet for a moment, then nodded. “Well, then, we should take advantage of the last few hours we have before sunset and get reacquainted. Hungry?”

“A little,” he shrugged.

“I know the perfect place with plenty of vegetarian options, so you’re bound to find something you’ll eat.”

“That sounds good.”

“Connor, is everything all right?”

Green eyes rose to meet blue, and seeing only a friend’s concern, he smiled. “Yes. Forgive me, I’m just a little tired.”

Dick frowned, worried that Connor might not be up to patrolling for the Siren if he was exhausted. “Do you want to stay here instead, get a couple hours sleep?”

“I’ll be fine, so long as I’m able to sleep tomorrow.”

“I’ll be sure and tie you to the bed until you do,” Dick teased and ushered Connor out the door.



Later that night, when Green Arrow met up with Batman and Robin at the appointed spot, both of the caped men were surprised to see that he wasn’t alone.

“Nightwing!” Robin exclaimed and the two superheroes embraced, grinning like idiots. “What are you doing here? You haven’t been flying with us in ages!”

“Missed me, huh?”

“If you’re referring to all the times I’ve had to save your scrawny hide, then nope, haven’t missed you at all.”

Nightwing lightly slugged Robin in the shoulder and scowled at him. “I think you’ve got it backwards. Aren’t I the one who always has to save your scrawny hide?”

“I believe that job is mine,” came the Bat’s dark voice, “and as I’ve had to save both your hides more times than I care to count, it would behoove you to drop this subject.”

“You’re right,” Nightwing said with a tone bordering on suggestive as he met Batman’s gaze. “In fact, all things considered, I’d have to say that you own my hide, which means my hide is yours to do with as you will. So, what is your will for my hide?”

Batman’s eyes narrowed. “I thought your hide already had a Will.”

“That Will belongs to Dick.”

“Then it seems to me Dick doesn’t need any more hide.”

“Good for Dick, but bad for me.”

“Nothing I can do about that.”

“But there is, since we’ve already concluded my hide is yours.”

“And if I wanted to skin your hide?” Batman growled, his irritation starting to show.

“You are more than welcome to use your bare hands on the skin of my hide.”

Shuddering slightly, Robin leaned over to Green Arrow and said in a stage whisper, “Am I old enough to be hearing this conversation?”

Connor shook his head, watching the match of innuendo between the two with a mixture of disbelief and awe. “I don’t think I’m old enough to be hearing this conversation.”

Nightwing smirked at the Bat as the seething man’s hands clenched and unclenched. He loved his job, if for no other reason than as Nightwing, he was able to say things, to do things, that Dick couldn’t. Dick would always have a U-Haul full of baggage to drag around, but Nightwing. . . Nightwing was free--free to say and do anything, like stare at Batman’s codpiece and not feel guilty about it.

“Um. . . perhaps we should start looking for the Siren?” Connor said when it seemed as if the two were prepared to stand there staring at each other for the rest of the night.

“Connor,” Batman said, his eyes never leaving Nightwing’s, “you’re with me. We’ll take the south side of Gotham. Robin, you and Nightwing take the north.”

“Don’t want to be alone with me?”

“Gotham is Robin’s home, and just in case you’ve managed to block out everything you know about this city, you should stick with him. As Connor is new to Gotham, it makes more sense for him to be paired with me than with either of you.”

“That’s a complicated explanation. A few years ago, you wouldn’t have even bothered answering, just snarled at us to get to work.”

“Fine. Get to work.”

“Robin,” Nightwing said, eye’s still locked onto Batman’s, “you and Connor have fun. We’ll keep in touch.”

“Whatever,” Robin sighed, grabbing onto Connor’s arm. “Anything to get out of here. Think they’ll have moved by morning?”

“Wouldn’t bet on it,” Connor muttered and the two jumped over the edge of the building and began heading south.

“What are you doing here?” Batman demanded.

“Searching for the Siren.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying.”

“Why are you acting like this?”

“Like what?”

Batman grabbed Nightwing by the waist with an iron grip. “Is this what you want?” he snarled, pressing their bodies together, a gloved hand rubbing the bulge between Nightwing’s legs. “You know I can’t give you anything else. Will you be happy with just this?”

“You can give me more,” he countered, all playfulness gone as he forced Batman away. “You just won’t.”

“I am not going to argue about this with you, not now.”

“I don’t want to argue with you about it at all! I just want--oh, fuck it,” Nightwing snapped and threw himself at Batman, hungrily devouring his mouth with a kiss.

Keeping the Bat distracted with his lips, he twisted a leg around his lover’s and knocked him off balance, pushing him to the blacktop of the roof.

Much to his surprise, Batman didn’t fight him. Instead, they both worked quickly to relieve themselves of the bare minimum of their suits that would still give them the access they needed. Ignoring all pain it would cause, Nightwing didn’t waste any time impaling himself on Batman’s cock. He paused for a moment, absorbing the pain and waiting for his body to adjust, then began riding him hard and fast. Rubber coated fingers wrapped around his erection, pumping him in time with his thrusts.

They didn’t even look at each other, they were so caught up in the connection so long denied to them. It wasn’t long until they were both coming in hot, wet spurts, finishing almost as fast as they had started.

Nightwing collapsed onto Batman’s chest, his ear resting against the quickly beating heart. “God, I needed that.”

“You think you did?”

He glanced up at the wide-eyed Bat, a smug smile curling his lips. “You should get out more.”

“I’m hardly ever in.”

Nightwing glared mockingly at the Batman. “You know what I mean.”

“I know,” he said, then sighed, looking away. “This should never have happened.”

“Get over it.”

“It won’t happen again.”

“You think you can resist me?”

“My will is as strong as yours.”

“My Will is weaker than you think,” he said, a note of sadness in his voice, and Batman eyed him with a hopeful curiosity.

“Have you found your Will is more pliable than you’d thought?”

“It seems my Will has been struck by an Arrow. Or the Arrow was struck by my Will. Or perhaps it was a combination of both. I’m not sure on the details.”

“And so you came running to me,” he said darkly, and Nightwing looked at him.

“I can only run to you. The one I want to be with would turn me away. You’ll at least give me a quick fuck to help me take my mind off of things.”

“And that’s the sum of my worth,” Batman said with a bitter note.

“I’ll take what I can get.”

“From me. But not from him.”

“No,” Nightwing said, shaking his head. “From him, I want more.”

“There is nothing else to give. He is nothing.”

Nightwing jumped to his feet, hands swiftly putting his costume back into place. Only then did he turn to meet the Bat’s eyes. “He is everything to me.”

Before Batman had time to sit up, Nightwing was gone.



The heroes’ search proved fruitless, the Siren’s face not to be seen within the borders of Gotham and no trace of her song heard anywhere on the night wind. Batman, Robin, and Green Arrow parted company with the arrival of dawn, Nightwing also having made himself scarce for the rest of the night. Connor returned to Bludhaven to find Dick fast asleep, or at least, pretending to be asleep. He respected his friend’s privacy and didn’t bother him--just curled up on the sofa and settled in for some much needed rest.

Batman and Robin returned to the Batcave where Robin immediately changed and rushed home, hoping to sneak in before his dad caught him. Bruce removed the Batsuit and examined it for any evidence of the night’s events. Carefully cleaning off any incriminating stains, he put it back in its place and went upstairs to shower.

He turned on the water, letting its warmth wash over him, cleansing him of Nightwing’s smell, his touch. He’d spent the rest of the night with the sensation of heated walls of flesh surrounding him, caressing him and forcing him into a painful hardness over and over again that he could do nothing about while trapped inside the Batsuit. By the time they’d finished their patrol, he was, he reluctantly admitted, a mess. He couldn’t concentrate on anything, just Nightwing’s angry words and quick seduction.

His lips still burned with the memory of him, sending quick bursts of flame through his body, and he was hard again.

Taking himself in his hand, Bruce closed his eyes and pictured Dick leaning over him, blue eyes dilated with passion, mouth open just enough to make Bruce want to slip his tongue inside. His hand moved faster as his imaginary lover began to move upon him, but the slide of his cock in his fist was nothing compared to his cock sliding in and out of that tight hole. He could almost feel the brush of silky black hair over his chest as imaginary Dick smiled and reached for a kiss.

Picturing the smile was enough to make him come.

Moaning softly, Bruce leaned against the shower wall and let the water wash away his release, wishing it was capable of washing away the pain, of sending his torment in a rush down the drain.

He couldn’t go on like this. Why should he have to deny himself the one thing in the world that would make him happy? Who said he had to spend the rest of his days in darkness? Not having Dick didn’t make him a better man, a better fighter. Would having Dick truly lessen the drive that plagued him, forcing him out night after night?

No. It would simply mean that he’d have someone who understood his need to hunt, and someone to wrap himself around when the night was over.

So why couldn’t he do it? Why couldn’t he just tell Dick that he loved him, that he wanted to be with him, that each second without him was a second which brought him just that much closer to the darkness?

He didn’t bother to answer.

Bruce turned off the shower and stepped into the bedroom, absently drying himself off before throwing the towel onto a chair. Crawling under the blankets, he used every technique he’d ever learned to clear his mind, and eventually fell asleep where Dick continued to haunt him in his dreams.



When Connor woke the next day, it was well past morning and starting into the afternoon. Stretching, he listened for any sounds of movement from the bedroom. Hearing nothing, he walked silently towards the door and peered inside to see Dick sitting wide awake in the window, staring blankly out onto the street below.

“Dick?” he asked cautiously as he hesitated in the doorframe.

The dark-haired man turned to face him, a sad smile on his lips. “Come on in, Connor.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to be alone?”

“I’ve been alone enough.”

“But do you. . . do you want my company?”

“You’re wondering if I wouldn’t rather have Will here.”

Connor gave a short nod. “Yes.”

A sparkle appeared in Dick’s eyes. “Are you sure it isn’t you who would rather have Will here?”

The other man’s face turned a dark red and Dick laughed.

“You have nothing to worry about. I love you, Connor. And I love Will. However, if--when--we do go our separate ways, I have a feeling he’ll be the one hurt more by it than I will. Or at least he would have been, if he hadn’t found you.” He frowned, glancing at the archer. “That is, I’m assuming the attraction is mutual?”

“This is the problem of being friends with one of the world’s greatest detectives,” Connor smiled. “Nothing remains hidden for long.”

“Then you have my blessing.”

“Only because your heart belongs to another and has always belonged to another.”

The shadows reappeared in Dick’s eyes, and he nodded, his gaze returning to the view outside the window.

“He loves you.”

“He won’t let himself love me.”

“He’s afraid to act on his love.”

“Why am I the one thing he fears?”

“He doesn’t fear you. He fears losing you.”

“He’ll never lose me.”

“You can be taken from him.”

“And he can be taken from me, whether we’re together or not. We’d might as well be together and be happy while we have the chance.”

“Tell him that.”

“I have. A thousand times. He doesn’t listen.”

“Make him listen. Don’t stop telling him until it’s all he hears and he’s forced to realize what an ass he’s being.”

Dick gave Connor a startled glance then started to laugh. “Did you just call Bruce Wayne an ass?”

Connor seemed to think about it for a moment and nodded. “Yes, I believe I did.”

“Good for you, because it’s true,” he grinned.

“So, are you going to talk to him?”

“I don’t know. He’s a bit of a stubborn ass.”

“Aren’t they all?”

“Yeah, I suppose so.”

“And if nothing else works, just out-stubborn him.”

Dick arched an eyebrow in his direction. “Connor, are you calling me an ass?”

Connor’s green eyes blinked innocently at him. “Would I do that?”

“Yes.”

Connor just smiled.

“Keep it up,” Dick growled playfully, “and I’ll tell my boyfriend you’re straight.”

“He’ll never believe you.”

“No, probably not. But I might reconsider giving you my blessing.”

“Then I will reconsider implying you’re an ass.”

“You’re too kind.”

“It’s my nature.”

Dick laughed and stood up to hug his friend. “I’m glad you’re here. And as soon as Will gets back with Tim, I want you two to go somewhere and decide how you’re going to make this work.”

“All right, but I should tell you now, I think Tim’s a little young for me.”

Rolling his eyes, Dick pushed him away. “You’re not funny.”

“You know, my father keeps telling me that. I don’t believe him, either. Why is Will picking up Tim?”

“Because I was too tired to drive over there to pick him up myself, and Will was in Gotham anyway, so he offered.”

“He’s a good man,” Connor said, his eyes softening as he thought of Will, and Dick nodded.

“He is. You’ll be very happy together.”

“You’re a good man, too,” he said, looking at Dick, who shook his head.

“Only some of the time. The rest of the time, I can be a real prick.”

“You’re too hard on yourself.”

“No. I’m just honest.”

“Well, then, to thank you for not being a prick about Will, how about I make us some breakfast?”

“Don’t you mean lunch?”

“Call it whatever you want. It’s food.”

“Agreed. And as long as you promise to not use anything that has to do with tofu, I won’t stand in your way.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Connor laughed and made his way to the kitchen. The phone began ringing as he passed by, so he picked it up and tossed it to Dick.

“Hello?”

“I need you here.”

Dick’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think—”

“It’s Tim.”

His heart skipped a beat. “I’m on my way.”



“Wow.” Will gaped at the inside of Wayne Manor, his jaw nearly scraping across the floor as he turned around in the entranceway. “This place is. . . wow.”

“I know,” Tim grinned, leading him inside. “Took me forever to feel comfortable here. I found myself sitting up straight and minding my manners without even realizing it. Once you get used to the place, though, it isn’t so bad. You can spend hours exploring all the rooms and always find something new, and the rooms that Bruce and Alfred use the most--those almost start to feel homey. Come on, let me give you a quick tour.”

“Are you sure?” Will asked, feeling uncertain about invading a stranger’s home, particularly when that home belonged to Bruce Wayne.

“Of course,” Tim said, giving Will a look that made the older man feel as if he’d just asked one of the world’s dumbest questions. “Al’s in the kitchen and Bruce is at work, so don’t worry. You won’t have to try and make polite conversation with a billionaire.”

Will’s eyes narrowed though his voice was laced with amusement. “I’m not a complete rube, you know. My job does mean I have to mingle with the wealthier end of society.”

“Yeah, but most people are a little intimidated by Bruce. I think it’s because they never know what to expect from him.”

“Are you intimidated by him?”

“He’s Bruce,” Tim shrugged, as if it was the only answer in the world.

“Right. Sorry,” Will grinned, wondering how long it had taken the young man to feel comfortable saying that. He followed Tim through room after room until the entire house became a blur of antique furniture and artifacts collected from societies all over the Earth. When they reached one room in particular, however, Will pulled the eager young man to a stop. “The house truly is remarkable, but I think I could camp out a week in this room alone.”

Tim looked around at Bruce’s official armory--the unofficial one being in the cave below the house--and grinned. “It’s every little boy’s dream--swords, guns, bows, pikes, maces, scimitars--the first time I walked in here, my hands positively itched to start leading armies across the desert, or to rescue King Richard during the Crusades.”

“Have you ever—”

“Bruce would have my head on one of those pikes faster than I could pick any of the locks on these cases. It’s kind of weird, but weapons are a real sore point with him.”

“Especially considering his collection,” Will said, still trying to take in everything around him, and Tim glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

“Right. That’s why. Come on, there’s something—” The young man suddenly froze and a frown creased Will’s forehead.

“What’s that sound?” he asked, looking at Tim, but there was no response from the young man. In fact, there was no reaction of any kind. His face was a complete blank, his eyes wide and distant. “Tim?”

The sound increased in volume and Tim began walking towards the door. It was music, Will realized, someone singing, but what the song was or where it was coming from, he didn’t know. He just sensed there was something wrong about it.

“Tim, I don’t think--” Will placed a hand on Tim’s shoulder and found himself being pushed to the ground. The young man continued towards the door and Will immediately jumped back up and grabbed Tim by the wrist.

Showing no emotion at all, Tim attacked him, arms and legs a flurry of movement. Will tried defending himself but was no match for a teenage boy who’d been trained by one of the greatest warriors the world had ever known.

Within seconds, the blue eyes were staring dispassionately at a body lying motionless on the floor, the man he’d once considered a friend now little more than an obstacle that had been effectively removed. Tim turned again towards the door and followed the song through the house, searching for the source, for the voice that called to him, lured him, controlled him. When he found her, he surrendered himself completely without a single thought.


[Completed April 7, 2004]