InsaneJournal

Who: Roger and Gwen
What: Dancing!
Where: A downtown jazz club
When: Saturday
Rating: pretty safe, believe it or not.



Roger might have been on Gwen’s case for not going out to have fun, but to be fair he hadn’t been doing so himself. Vigilante work did give him satisfaction, but it carried so much more responsibility than just going out and enjoying a good time. The problem was he didn’t want to become one of those people who didn’t believe they could go out and let loose. That’s what separated him from Batman. The good news was that going out dancing with Gwen was easy. He didn’t feel pressured to act more refined or suave since she wouldn’t believe him if he tried anyway.

He spent the first couple hours at the bar introducing her to musicians he had met being a piano player and mingling enough that he felt appropriately sociable. It was nice. He hadn’t really been given the chance to show any of his old friends his new life in a career that belonged more to his parents than himself. But, it was growing on him. Roger had no intention on becoming a cop again and the nights he spent playing the piano felt good. Kept him relatively happy.

As his friend’s band started up their set, Roger smiled and turned to Gwen. “You know I’m surprised you haven’t made fun of me for liking jazz.” He shrugged, that smile turning into a grin. “It’s widely considered just old people music.”

Gwen knew she’d have an interesting time. She wasn’t entirely sold on the idea that she would have fun. She had been wound up for so long that she didn’t think she could really relax for more than a little bit at a time. But if anyone could, she thought it would be Roger, and he certainly wasn’t disappointing.

The jazz thing went beyond interesting and right into the realm of enjoyable. She had been surprised at first to see him so at ease. She knew he played piano but it never really hit her until now and she was impressed and touched to be seeing a whole different side of him. When he turned and grinned at her she responded with one in kind. “You don’t go to a jazz bar and make fun of the jazz players. I just got my legs. I’d like to keep them. But if you like, I’ll rib you. The night’s young.” Though she wagged her eyebrow at him oh so seriously, her grin said she was anything but.

“How come on I never knew this about you?” Her voice was all warm teasing but there was a hint of seriousness at it’s core. They had been friends all this time but work, both back home and in Seattle, seemed to preoccupy all of their time and conversation. “What got you into it in the first place?”

“Natural talent.” He boasted without much intention of humbling that statement. “My parents were both stars in New York. Up until I was about ten, the only thing I knew how to do was play instruments.” Roger had stopped speaking bitterly about his parents years ago unless someone forced him to trot them out as a familial tragedy. They fueled his morality, but he refused to let their memory make him unhappy. This was obvious by the look on his face. Pleasantly nostalgic.

“And, I never told you because it’s not exactly something a tough guy is supposed to be into.” Roger shrugged with a tip of his hand as if there were nothing he could do about that. “Last thing I need is some rumor goin’ round that I got fancy fingers or I can read sheet music.”

Her smile was small but fond. She had heard about his parent but many years ago and only in passing. It was one of those subjects that no one was sure about how to talk about or around, so she certainly never did unless someone else brought it up. As for his rep, she laughed softly. “Your secret’s safe with me,” she promised in mock solemnity, punctuated by a quick bump of her bare shoulder against his as if that made the promise more official.

The music swelled and it caught her attention for a moment, turning her face to them as her eyes fluttered closed and she let herself enjoy the music. “So this is what you do on your downtime.” She was half speaking to him, half to herself, and she quietly let the sounds wash over her before she opened her eyes. Spying a few people moving out on the dance floor, she looked over her shoulder at him. “One of these days you’ll have to play for me.” She smirked and kept her tone light, though she didn’t let him think she was anything but serious about her request. “But we’ll save that for another time. How’s your footwork? Also fancy?”

“You got it.” Roger liked the idea of playing something for her. It scared the hell out of him, sure, but he liked it. He tried not to watch her too carefully, the way she drank in the music was sweet and nearly enchanting. Suddenly, this was not the same girl who tried so hard to distance herself from everything but her computer. When she glanced over at him, Roger pretended to be looking at something behind her before focusing his gaze on her face again.

“Nah, I’m the cheeseburger of dancing. Good, unhealthy and couldn’t be fancy if it tried.” He put his hand out for her to take and started towards the dance floor.

That got her laughing again, and she was all smiles once they were on the dance floor, heels on the hard floor barely heard above the music, the hem of her simple black dress swishing above her knees. There was a moment of hesitation flickering across her face and in her step. It had been a while since she had been out, but even longer since she had been out dancing. Her wariness didn’t leave her completely but she managed to mask it with a smirk that was all challenge. “Show me what you’ve got.”

He smirked, lightly grasping onto her hand while the other moved to hold her waist. With a slow spin between the other dancers who seemed happy just shuffling in place, Roger found himself slowly picking up speed along with the music. He assumed it had something to do with his ability, since he had never been this light on his feet in New York and even when Max made him dance with her to get Brandon’s attention. The concern quickly left him mind though, since there was something exhilarating about showing off. This would not come to a surprise to anyone who knew Roger in the slightest.

“I’m gunna twirl you. Make it look like we’re professionals who do this in our free time. Remember, it’s all about the attitude.” Roger gave her a very serious look as if they were hatching a master plan together.

He was moving faster than she anticipated but she managed to keep up, though no one but him should have noticed her tight grasp on his hand, a small but clear sign that she was concentrating a little too hard. She hadn’t noticed it until he gave her the head’s up and the advice. Attitude, hm? She could do attitude. The nervousness immediately slipped from her and she gave him a look before settling into a smirk. For now she seemed too confident to care about anything but having fun and Gwen let that guide her, looking at her dancer partner like she didn’t care about anything, not the dance steps, not anyone around them, not anything but him.

She let him twirl her around, only careful not to twist her feet around each other, trusting him to spin her carefully the dance floor. When she found herself facing him once more she fell against him a little closer than before, more warm smile than cocky smirk gracing her lips. “‘Couldn’t be fancy’ he said,” with a breathless laugh. “Got anymore surprises left under your hat?”

Roger grinned at her confidence, a glimmering reminder of a younger part of her personality that she buried on occasion in exchange for getting work done. Roger was more familiar with the business side of Gwen, but he always felt like it just wasn’t good enough for him. In the midst of a terrible couple of months, it was nice to see her have a good time. See her laugh. He was so caught up in having a good time that when she fell closer to him, it felt sudden. Now it was time to do something stupid.

“Maybe.” Roger replied softly and wrapped his arms around her to pull her close to him. With only a little, natural hesitation, he kissed her. There was nothing fancy about it, but it was certain that this was something he wanted for a long time.

Maybe, he said but only giving her a split second to shoot him a curious look before he kissed her. Her hesitance last only as long as his, a quick moment of disbelief that it was actually happening. She cut short all the reasons why they shouldn’t be doing this because really, she couldn’t deny that this had been something she had been wanting so very much too.

So she kissed him back, flashy dancing abandoned in favor of gentle swaying against him until they stopped pretense entirely and she enjoyed the moment for all it was worth. When she pulled away, and only slightly, an almost shy but pleased little smile curved against his lips. “You know, I really like your surprises,” she grinned, just loud enough for him to hear over the music.

He grinned back with a feeling of relief and a straight rush that refused to let him think properly. “I’ve been saving that one for a while.” He responded with one of those rugged smirks before lightly kissing her shoulder. The music slowed to an even tempo of something that might have been heard on a warm New Orleans street. Roger kept his arms around her and swayed gently to the music. He knew this was a bad idea, too, but a little piece of happiness was something they both needed. Roger hadn’t taken a break from being Nightwing and it showed, but dancing there with her it seemed like that weight was momentarily lifted.

She hummed softly at the touch of affection on her shoulder, pressing a kiss to the hollow of his throat before settling her head on his shoulder. She was quiet as they danced, just enjoying the music, the night away from all their problems, and simply just being with him most of all. When the music began to die down and the applause started to ring around them, Gwen slid one hand down to half clap, half pat his arm. She was appreciative of the music but not willing to move from her spot unless he made her.

She lifted her head up but only just. She was much too comfortable and happy but she needed to be heard above the clapping. “Do we have to go?” Was their little moment over?

He looked up with super hero determination to see if he could stall for time, but people were emptying out like water through fingers. The music stalled and then halted completely with a couple lazy hits to the snare drum and loose mumbling from a trumpet before being put away in its case. Roger slowed to a stop and reached to touch her face so that he could look at her.

“This doesn’t have to be it.” He gave her a more serious look than he intended, not entirely sure what he was implying. All he wanted from her was more time. If not tonight, than the next time they weren’t busy chasing down criminals. Whenever that might be.

Similar thoughts were running through her mind, and her expression reflected uncertainty as well. She wasn’t sure what he was saying; she wasn’t even sure what this was. She had thought they were friends, would’ve liked more but resigned to reality. She expected nothing from this evening and had planned a little in the future accordingly. But now there was this night, one outside of their norm, and one that she hadn’t realized how much she liked and wanted until she was facing its end.

“I’d like that,” she decided, though it was easier said than done. “Just me and you. Sometime.” She tried to keep it light, more of a promise though it felt like an impossibility. They were always so busy, and though she hadn’t told anyone she knew her free time, if it could’ve ever been called that, was coming to an end. Maybe they’d never get another night like this, but she could at least tell him that she wished that wasn’t the case.

He smiled and leaned in for another kiss, knowing full well that even though her intentions were good, they were not the type of people who had a lot of time on their hands. The last thing he wanted was for them to end up anywhere near how Max and Thomas were, so the plan was to treat this situation like a gentleman. Let her know she was wanted, because she was, but keep things light for now. Hell, Seattle could be safer than New York if they trained the right vigilantes and kept an eye on dangerous creations. Roger had to believe his future would be brighter than it was before.

“Come on, Red. Let’s get you home before someone needs your help.” Roger’s smile slipped for a moment, but he quickly struggled to make it reappear.

This time it was Gwen who leaned in, trying to make that smile of his stay with a press of her lips against his. And when she pulled away she slipped her hand in his, tugging him toward the door but never straying far away. “Let’s take the long way back.”