Cereta's Web: Indecent Exposure

Indecent Exposure
by Lucy Gillam

Normally, he wouldn't bother interfering. In the grand scheme of things, two people engaging in semi-private displays of affection in alleys was low on Batman's priority list. He'd been known to break up obviously professional transactions, or scare the odd teenage couple into choosing safer locations, but he had better things to do than bother adults who weren't really hurting anything but their own dignity.

Had there not been several gay-bashings in the immediate area, he probably wouldn't have given the two young men kissing rather aggressively outside DePallo's a second glance. But he'd seen the results of those attacks and was in no mood to see another.

He swung down to the alleyway, landing several feet away from where one young man had the other pinned against the wall and appeared to be making a serious effort to merge their bodies together. Not that the other one was protesting.

"This is not a good place for this," he said just loudly enough to be heard.

"Piss off," the kid with his back to Batman said, sparing him only a second's glance.

Batman stood there with his arms folded. One, two…

"Fuck!" The young man sprang away from his companion and looked around frantically, then back at Batman.

"Well, not now, obviously," a familiar voice replied. Batman turned his head and found himself face to face with Dick Grayson.

A very flushed, very obviously well-kissed Dick Grayson.

"I…he…we…" the other young man stammered.

Grayson just rolled his eyes. "Oh, for God's sake, just run away already."

The young man followed his suggestion to the letter.

Grayson made a very obvious show of straightening his shirt, although for all his apparent composure, his breathing was still uneven. "So," he said, "come to wish me a happy birthday, or just ruin the celebration?"

"What?" Of course, if he'd thought about it, he'd have known it was Dick's birthday. Not that he'd thought about it. Or about what sorts of things Grayson might do to celebrate, out in the city in black leather pants and a blue silk shirt that showed every spot where it had been grasped and mauled.

"My birthday. Today." Grayson looked at his watch. "Well, yesterday, I suppose technically, but you can't be too picky about it. You have really lousy timing, you know that?"

"It's not safe here," Batman repeated. That was the key point, the important thing, not Dick's birthday or his choice of celebration or his apparent predilections. It wasn't safe.

"I can actually take care of myself, you know. And it doesn't do any good in the long run to let people who beat other people up just for existing control your actions. You should know that."

"Your companion certainly seems to have a greater sense of self-preservation," Batman responded, not adding that he'd run away like a scared rabbit.

Grayson rolled his eyes again. "Well, yeah," he said, gesturing vaguely at Batman. "No offense, but isn't scary kind of your thing?"

"It never seems to work on you." The words were out of his mouth before he knew he was thinking them. But they were the truth, and the wondering why sometimes drove him to distraction.

Dick grinned. "Yeah, well, I know how you treat your criminals." He looked at his watch again. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to try to salvage my birthday plans. Unless, of course, you wanted to…" He gestured vaguely again between the two of them.

Batman took a step back and frowned. "Just stay out of alleys." It wasn't safe.

Grayson sighed. "Of course. I'm sure I'll see you soon," he added as he headed back toward DePallo's entrance.

Batman watched him leave, then carefully shot a jumpline back in the direction of his original patrol. He would not stay here and watch the area. Grayson was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, and Gotham needed Batman's attention.

Besides, the club itself was safe. That was the important thing.