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Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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Published:
2020-11-05
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549
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Apologies In Less Verbal Forms

Summary:

Post Outsiders #16. Dick apologizes, after a fashion.

Work Text:

Apologies In Less Verbal Forms 

 

Roy looked at the flower in the pot sitting by the monitor screen. “So…Indigo’s been on a decorating spree?”

 

Dick nodded. “Got it in one.” It had been Indigo’s idea to get plants for the HQ; she hadn’t bought this one, however. He had.

 

The flower was obviously some type of orchid, dark purple with little light green striations in the middle. Even though he felt like a bit of a dunce, Roy leaned closer and did what one did with flowers – he sniffed it.

 

Eyebrows climbing up into his hairline, Roy let out a bit of an impressed-sounding, “Wow.”

 

Sending him a sideways frown, Dick asked, “What?”

 

“It smells like chocolate,” Roy said, a small, pleased smile coming over his lips. “Didn’t know they made flowers like that.”

 

Actually, they made several types, but Roy was happy for the first time in…well, since Dick had lived down to his name. So Dick kept silent. “You like it?” Maybe it would work. There weren’t really words to say how sorry he was for being – well, for being a dick. But Roy loved chocolate, and this variety of orchid was the same shade of purple as his first Arsenal suit.

 

Not that Roy would probably get any of that unless Dick explained it, but the whole idea of the flower was to give him an opening.

 

Roy scrunched his face up, then nodded. “Yeah,” he said.

 

“Make you think of anything?” Dick ventured after a moment, wondering if Roy even remembered the chocolate bars he used to carry in his belt – because leaving them in the pantry meant Wally ate them all.

 

Roy’s head tilted to the side for a moment as he looked at the flower. “The flower than blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all,” he said after a moment, voice soft enough that Dick almost leaned towards him to hear him better.

 

Dick’s eyes squinted at him from behind his mask. That hadn’t been what he’d expected at all. Still, best to just go with it. “Isn’t that from a Disney movie?”

 

Roy nodded. “Yeah. Mulan. It’s Lian’s favorite.” He shrugged and stared down at the orchid. “I don’t quite get it, though.”

 

“It means that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Dick replied.

 

Roy considered that. “Like me being a junkie,” he said finally, still thinking that it was a weakness if even Dick would use it to hurt him.

 

“You aren’t one. That’s why I said it, then.” Dick shifted uncomfortably. “So you’d snap out of it.”

 

Roy snorted softly, unable to believe that there hadn’t been a modicum of truth underlying the insult.

 

Frowning, Dick moved closer to his friend. “I didn’t think you still thought that.”

 

“What else am I supposed to think?” Roy didn’t expect an answer.

 

Dick had one for him, anyway. “That you were weak then, but you’re all the stronger for going through it.” He gripped Arsenal’s arm hard over the tattoo. “And you’re beautiful. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Especially not me, Roy.”

 

Roy looked at him wordlessly, but didn’t shift out of Dick’s grip.

 

It took a few moments before his right hand moved to cover Dick’s, finger knitting together with his, accepting that.