Chapter Text
Dick knew he was being tailed. Again. Whoever they were, they obviously weren't professionals and it's not like he didn't have experience spotting a tail; shaking his nosy little brothers who happened to be leagues above these guys with their skill kept his own finely honed.
This was the third time in two weeks. He had managed to lose the first couple of groups easily with a few acrobatic disappearances when turning a corner and in the most recent one he had walked into Spolier's territory for the night and had her scare them off. Unfortunately, he'd been out and a little too publicly seen tonight to pull that off again. He didn't need some fan uploading Richie Wayne backflipping off a fire escape to TikTok.
Dick rolled his eyes and continued playing the part of Richie Wayne -a little too drunk, having lost his friends and cheerfully wandering to his next drink and maybe a new friend or two- except he'd wandered a bit far out of the Diamond District and was currently pottering around in crime lord territory while trying to subtly lose another set of attempted kidnappers, which he really just wasn't in the mood for.
Seriously, how old did he need to get for this to stop happening? Why did they always go for him and not Dami or Tim? Honestly, the boy hostage/kidnapped socialite thing just wasn't cute anymore when you were nearing thirty.
The cobblestone street wasn't quite deserted but it was still quiet, with only a few people scattered around making their way home or towards their next drink. He spotted a dive bar up ahead with "Bere Per Dimenticare" spray-painted on the window. Dick couldn’t tell if it was the name of the bar or graffiti gifted by an artist with a sense of humour. It didn't show any outward signs of being a mob haunt and it wasn't pinging any memories, so if it was in Bruce's files it wasn't somewhere Dick had taken note of.
There was a collection of bikes in the front lot outside and he stopped to admire one that looked almost armour-plated with striking red accents. He made a little show of staggering around and let out a low appreciative whistle and determinedly headed for the door. Fuck it, this place would be as good as any for his favourite escape tactic: waltz in, make a scene then slip out the back, leaving a riot behind. If he was very lucky, maybe his tail wouldn't be stupid enough to follow him inside and try to blend in with a bunch of bikers. Maybe he could actually have a drink and make his way home to Bludhaven in peace. Maybe. Not likely, though.
He shoved the door open roughly, then stared at it like a drunken idiot when it banged off the wall inside. He shrugged casually and plastered a wide grin on his face as he headed straight up to the bar, as though he had every right to be there despite the heavy silence that fell upon his ridiculous entrance.
"Hey! What cocktails do you make here?" Dick slurred at the bartender with a cheeky wink. It's possible he was laying it on a little thick, but he might as well get some entertainment out of this. The bartender already looked like he wanted Dick to fuck off and never come back, so that was a win.
"Best you're going to get is a whisky and coke. I don't think this is your kind of bar, pal," the bartender replied huffing but already grabbing a glass and the cheap whisky from behind him.
"That'll do! I like whisky, and I know, right?! But I lost my friends and I didn't want to go home yet and there was this cool bike outside and… Thanks!" Dick cut himself off when the cocktail, if you would consider a whiskey and coke a cocktail, was thrust at him unceremoniously. He beamed at the exasperated bartender and shoved way too much money across the bar, announcing "keep the change" over his shoulder as he looked around for somewhere more interesting to sit. The bar was pretty nice, considering the impression he got from the outside. The old-fashioned solid oak bar and matching tables looked clean and waxed and his Italian loafers hadn't stuck to the floor once, so that was actually an improvement on the club he'd just left.
Unfortunately, he noted his stalkers had wandered in too, through a back door presumably, like they didn't stick out like sore thumbs lurking in a corner in their smart black suits. They hadn't even bothered to get drinks; they were just sitting, staring in every direction but at Dick. He sighed heavily, wondering how to get out of this one without ruining his cover. Much as it would be nice just to beat their faces in and leave them in the alley outback, it wasn't like he could fight them properly as Richie without arousing suspicion, and Bruce would kill him if Richie Wayne went viral for knocking out three thugs in a biker bar in Little Italy.
His gaze fell on what he deduced were the owners of the bikes he saw outside. A quick count said there were fourteen of them, gathered around a few tables by the window. Almost all of them were watching Suit One and Suit Two with undisguised suspicion, all but one, who was watching Dick with interest. Well, since he was looking for a distraction, that ought to do it.
He walked up to the guy, fully intending to cause a scene and slip away in the chaos, maybe by saying the bartender put Dick's drink on the guy's tab or something, but as he got closer he realised the man was subtly checking him out. Well, this he could work with. He put a little sway into his walk and very unsubtly checked him out right back. The biker was big, young- definitely younger than the rest of the gang- his brown leather jacket stretched across wide shoulders and hugged thick biceps beautifully. Dick's gaze slid up to the man's face and his interest peaked even more. His eyes were an extraordinary shade of teal Dick had never encountered before and they twinkled with amusement at Dick's blatant display, his lips were full and inviting, and his mouth would be pretty on a more delicate face but with the man's strong jaw and thick brows, one of the said brows currently arched questioningly at Dick, he just looked ruggedly handsome. Dick bit his lip and smiled at himself. It was time to go all out. His stalkers sat at a table nearby, watching him like they weren't utterly obvious. He took the last few steps towards the handsome biker and gracefully swung himself into his lap, long legs wrapped around the biker's waist and arms sensuously draped around his neck.
"Hi!" Dick smiled vapidly up at the man before leaning in to kiss him. For a moment he had no idea where this was going to go. Would he be unceremoniously dumped onto the floor in feigned disgust? Maybe punched in the face? He knew the man wanted him but whether he was open about it, especially in this kind of crowd, was another matter entirely. His worry was eased, though, when almost immediately the man wrapped his arms around Dick, one hand sliding up to grip his hair gently, the other holding him steady around his waist. The kiss was surprisingly gentle and seductive, Dick had expected clashing teeth and bruising force but was met with soft lips carefully pressing light kisses until he was gasping and light-headed with lust. The man pulled back and looked at him. Dick's hand crept up of its own accord to toy with the shock of white in the front of the biker's thick black hair.
"Hi to you too." The man said smiling before leaning in to kiss Dick again, this time just a little more forcefully. His hand lowered to cup Dick's ass with a slight squeeze and he let a pleased hum as his tongue snaked out teasing across Dick's lips to part them before licking its way between.
Dick startled a bit when the other members of the gang whooped and cheered, banging their glasses on the tables, laughing raucously and calling out encouragement.
Dick preened at the attention; you can take the boy out of the circus but not the circus out of the boy and boy , did he love being cheered.
One of the men yelled out "Hey boss, do I get a turn next?"
Before Dick had a chance to register what had happened his biker had tightened his grip protectively around Dick and had a gun aimed at the lackey's head. Dick froze, feigning wide eyes while silently running through his options to play this to his advantage while preventing a death. His biker smirked at him like he had a clue what Dick was thinking before pulling his aim and firing into the table in front of the man who had shouted, shattering the glasses and making the old biker fall back off his chair as the bullet went through the table and into his foot.
"Anyone else in here gets any ideas it won't be a toe you lose," the biker's leader said, calmly.
Dick stared at him with awe that wasn't entirely feigned before breaking into a wide grin. A glance up confirmed the suits were ready to clear out.
"Oh, I am keeping you!" Dick declared, before adjusting himself to fully straddle his biker again and kissing him hard. He pulled away, nipping at the man's bottom lip as he leaned back. Tonight was going to be a good one after all. Much as Dick subscribed to the Bats’ no-killing policy he wasn't stupid enough to kid himself that violence didn't excite him.
"Take me home," Dick announced breathlessly while grinding himself on his biker's lap, finding evidence he wasn't the only one who was a little riled up by all this.
The man stood up easily, holding Dick's weight with one arm as he strode to where the wary bartender was lurking., The bartender started to raise his hands placatingly but the biker simply threw a wad of notes down, nodding his head towards the damaged table and broken glasses, then turned and marched out the door with a laughing Dick clung around him like a spider monkey. Dick heard the laughter and whooping start up again, along with the clatter and scrape of chairs as the men began moving to leave.
Dick was pretty certain that the sexy display and the ensuing commotion would be enough to give his tail pause. Surely nobody with any sense in their heads would try to steal him away from his new friend and he could figure out who was tailing him in the morning back at the cave with Bruce because this had happened too many times now to shrug off as the usual Dicknapping attempts; now though he was going to damn well enjoy himself.
"What's your name, Goldie?" The man said as he set him smoothly on the ground.
"Goldie?" Dick asked with a quirked brow and a grin.
The man lifted his own brow in return and smirked as he ran his fingers over Dick's chest caressing him before lifting his garish gold and blue patterned Hawaiian shirt. The bright shirt had reminded him of his old suit and he couldn't resist it.
"Ha! Sure, ok, Goldie is good, I'll take it," Dick laughed.
"Yeah?" The man smiled, running his hand over the red design on his black T-shirt, "call me Red then," he said, swinging himself onto the bike Dick had been admiring earlier.
Dick smiled, looking down and running his fingers over the red accents on the bike. Dick nimbly hopped onto the bike behind the driver's seat and beamed up at Red. Red, that worked, it felt right somehow.
"Come on big guy, we getting out of here or what?"
Red rolled his eyes and handed Dick a bright red helmet from a compartment in the front of the seat.
"Here, I don't have a spare so take mine. You been on a bike before?"
Dick laughed while taking the helmet.
"Don't you worry about me, show me what this baby can do!"
Red's face lit up with a mischievous grin as he swung himself gracefully onto the bike.
"Get ready for the ride of your life, Goldie."
The bike roared to life under Red's huge, oh lord were they huge, hands, and they sped off with the rest of the bikers behind like some kind of really intimidating, leather-clad, honour guard. Dick clung to Red's back, whooping with exhilaration.