crashout | DICK;

[ dick smiles a bit at the-- compliment, he thinks, or he decides to take it that way anyway. the choice between crimefighting and a normal life felt like it started and ended at college, after-- after others chose to retire for school, and dick was never going to pick normal after robin died. maybe even before that. ]

Too sleepy for the party atmosphere? [ he doesn't expect junpei to list his reasons, but can't help himself teasing. though speaking of tease-- ] Please, I can do twenty easy. Bet you'll bail at seventeen.

[It's a compliment because he's aware there are smarter people on this ship, but like hell he'll openly say that. Smarter people, maybe better people. He's had time to think about all of his choices this week and it's maybe easiest to let those things disappear.

There's a low laugh but he doesn't answer.] I'll have you know I didn't even drink until I was legal. [He was that kind of nerd, and he's told other people this before. Except he wonders if that's even believable given he came back to their room drunk on their first weekend here. Oh well.] Twenty-five and you bail at fifteen. You're really bad at staying still.

[Pot, kettle. Especially given he's squirming a little to get more comfortable.]

Can't relate. [ it's said lightly, teasingly, and dick's maybe lifting his hand to properly run it through junpei's hair a bit, rubbing at his scalp ] Think I had my first taste of champagne at like-- what, ten?

[ there's context missing, there, like the fact that it was a stupid rich people thing and bruce had looked like he hadn't been sure whether to be mad dick had even tried it or amused he'd immediately spit it out, but none of that matters, because dick grayson fights crime and yet breaks laws on a daily basis. the dichotomy of vigilantism. anyway: ]

I'm bad at staying still? Look who's talking. You keep squirming like I'm gonna make a better pillow if you fluff me up.

[A scalp massage seems appropriate given there's a less snarky and more pleased sound in reply. As much as he's enjoying making fun of Dick and being difficult, the gesture genuinely feels nice. It's why it takes him a few moments to respond.]

Champagne huh. Well excuse me...[Nope. Back to snark but also wow sometimes he forgets that Dick has definitely lived some kind of life. He hasn't put together exactly that he's super rich but. The implication is maybe there.

But he also reaches down to pat his arm.] I'm expecting it, yeah. You're the one letting me do this, by the way, so all of my actions are not entirely my fault.

Ten year old me stuck to juice boxes for a while after that fiasco. [ he can admit to that with no shame, because he was, y'know, ten.

and then he laughs a little, having a hard time pretending to be offended when junpei's being this cuddly. ]

What, am I supposed to throw you off me when you're this nice and cozy?

[ and dick's comfortable, obviously, he doesn't say ]

[Being ten also feels a really long time ago, and there's a grin somewhere against Dick's skin but he doesn't comment to it. Instead he thinks on the second sentence and shrugs a little.]

Some people probably would. [It's drawled out like he doesn't care, but he shifts again so he can see his face better.] And some people might even find this downright distracting.

[ dick blinks at that, a bit slow, like he's registering the comment but not understanding it. ]

... Sounds like they're missing out. [ is what he settles on, in the end, joke-y but quiet. ] There are some good distractions.

[He doesn't reply immediately. He doesn't feel like explaining in detail but there's the sound of soft breathing across Dick's collarbone from where Junpei's laying and staring at the back of his eyelids.]

Yeah. [Belatedly and a little too slow, but his hand starts tapping again.] And what else do you count as a good distraction?

[ dick's immediate response is sex for no other reason than it's been on his mind in this place (shockingly.), so he takes a bit to answer ]

Besides... this? [ he tilts his head ] Uh. [ he knows he has-- had-- hobbies, but it feels like forever since he's done any of them. god. ] Flying? Not-- not literally, but...

[ he laughs, a little awkward. can he pretend he's been fucked stupid? that's an excuse, right? ]

[...there's a shake of his head, more amused than exasperated before his hand lifts, a finger spinning in a circle like it's flying through the air.]

Acrobatics. [It's what he assumes and there's an equally amused grin. It looks real enough with his eyes shut.] You could always just say "no tough questions", you know.

[ he stops petting junpei's head for a second, though he keeps up the light petting to his back, but he brings his now freed hand over to put an arm over his eyes for a second ]

They're not... supposed to be tough. [ and... that's the problem, really. ] I did mathletes in high school?

[ that's a thing, right. ]

[There's a confused sound because why did you stop that?? But he doesn't...ask. Instead he lets that question hang and settles for an incredulous one instead.]

You...really are kind of a nerd, aren't you? [But he sounds a little pleased anyway.]

[ it's fine he can move the hand that was on junpei's back a bit up and up until he's petting the head again, because. why not. he keeps his arm over his face though, even when he lets out a short laugh. ]

You say that like it's a bad thing. [ or like it's a surprise, more likely ] And I like dork better, thanks.

[Thank you, he's content again. ]

No, no. It's...cute, I guess. [Still amused. ] Dick Grayson, the flying mathematic wonder-dork. Seems appropriate.

[It's something to think on because he's not surprised, but he likes learning all the same. ]

[ there's a pause and his lips twitch, before he admits: ]

My nickname as a kid superhero was "Boy Wonder", actually. So.

[...there's a shake of his head. ]

Of course it was. Self-given or did someone else decide for you?

Only thing I picked out was my codename. The public decided on the subtitle. [ he hums a bit ] Bad guys loved to call me that like it was an insult.

And you being you, you ran with it as a compliment to taunt them? [It's kind of easy to picture what a young Dick Grayson would be like.] Nightwing sounds pretty lofty for a kid.

[There's no way that Junpei isn't passingly familiar with DC in actual Earth but I'm ignoring it.]

Me being me, I gave them way better taunts to use. [ it's said with a smirk, but... he hums a bit at the question ] Yeah. I was Robin, back then. [ sometimes (more often, lately) he misses the simplicity of those days, and he's soft and warm and tired and wistful, and the breath he lets out is long. ] Changed a few years back. I felt like I'd earned the right to graduation.

[He might not look like it, but he's listening. Robin makes sense, of course, and the change does make him sound older and stronger. Instead of saying so, he decides to go with something stupider.]

Baby bird to a big bird. I'm suspecting a pattern here. [Hm.] Why Nightwing? Just because?

A friend of mine gave me the idea. [ he wonders how much he should tell, for half a second, but-- it's his name. ] It's a legend on his home planet. Said it reminded him of me.

[ it's remiss to say home about krypton, but it's the shortest answer to that one. ]

[There's something a little interesting about that, and part of him wants to ask more questions simply for the sake of asking. Dick is the kind of person who really only says what he has to in regards to himself, and while Junpei can't exactly say anything since he does the same, he wonders enough.

Instead of pressing about planets and people Dick knows, he settles on a nod.]

Weird how names other people come up with stick with you. [He gets that Dick picked it himself, but like. Same idea.] Nightwing does sound cooler.

[ dick huffs in mock offense IMMEDIATELY ]

Robin's plenty cool!

[ dick will defend to death his old mantle, that's why he keeps passing it down?? and also because blabla sentimentality, bla ]

Hey, I never said it wasn't! Way cooler than my nicknames and I already told you I messed up and didn't get a codename during the Nonary Game. Maybe I'm just jealous.

[He's joking, but also Dick please. It's an interesting response.]

[ it's his brother you're talking about!!! not that he's told junpei that

though since his offense was mostly fake he just. grins a bit instead. ]

What, you don't like JT?

[ it's a bad nickname, dick, live with it. ]

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