There were few times in Dick's life when he thought he was going to die. He'd come close to death more times than he could count but he always kept the hope that he'd figure out a way to evade the inevitable. He'd done so enough times to know that hope was valuable. Right now, he didn't have much of it going around. 

A building had collapsed in Bludhaven. Firefighters were doing their best to dig through the debris and pull out anyone left under the concrete but they could only do so much when they were divided across the city. Nightwing got to the scene an hour after the initial collapse and offered to worm his way through the handful of tiny entrances that they wouldn't be able to fit through with their equipment. Although every single one of them looked at him as though he had a death sentence, they took him up on the offer after warning him there could be a further collapse and if he got trapped they couldn't guarantee his rescue. He shrugged the warning off and got about crawling through the rigid passages that happened to be left standing.

True to their warning, the building crumpled in on itself further. He heard the warning creaks of the rubble slipping and quickly crawled to a slab of sturdy concrete to take shelter as the building slid deeper into destruction. A deafening clatter of rock and steel hit one another, and the dust it kicked up had his skin itching. If it wasn't for the lenses of his mask, it would've burned his eyes and kept him blind until he got to an eyewash sink. Maybe he should start carrying a travel-size bottle of the stuff.  He coughed harshly and wondered just how many years he was going to lose off his life if he kept coming into contact with things that definitely shouldn't be inhaled. He guessed at least ten years so far. 

For a brief moment, he thought he'd made it out scott-free. He'd still be buried underneath a building but he'd been in worse places at worse times. A bit of rubble and playing the waiting game wouldn't kill him. A quick look around told him his previous exit was now filled in and he didn't fancy his chances trying to wedge the concrete blocks out when he'd already lucked out in finding his hiding spot. 

On the bright side, literally, he'd managed to keep his light and his crawl space was illuminated with a blue hue. Hopefully, the light could leak through the cracks of his sudden prison and rescue workers would be able to dig in his direction. Well, when they finished the second rescue mission from the second collapse. He wasn't getting out of here any time soon. Kori was going to kill him if oxygen deprivation didn't.

In the cramped space he made for himself, he only had enough room to sit hunched over with his knees practically shoved into his armpits. He closed his eyes and ran a dust-covered hand through his dust-covered hair. The last thing he needed right now was to be alone with his thoughts. He shifted around carefully until he could manage to grab his phone and looked through his contacts. Normally, he wouldn't mind waiting until rescue came for him but with the position he was in with an unknown supply of oxygen and dust polluting his airways, he didn't want to wait until he knew he was a goner. Maybe he was out of the dog house with Kori now.

"I don't understand, Donna. I've always admired how selfless he can be but I'm starting to believe he's doing it not to save others but to harm himself," Kori lamented. 

She tried to get Dick to stay in tonight since he hadn't been sleeping well that week and the city would survive without him for one day. He insisted he had to go. She argued that if he left tonight, she wouldn't be there when he got back. The argument went back and forth over the course of an hour before they decided it would be better to go their separate ways until they calmed down. Kori left their apartment and went straight to Donna and Raven knowing full well he'd use this as an excuse to go out.

"You knew what you were signing up for," Raven commented as she passed the hero a cup of tea. "Nightly patrols have always been his routine. You can't expect him to change that now, especially when he's the sole hero for Bludhaven."

"So I should just let him destroy himself?" she snapped.

"That's not what she's saying," Donna intervened. "But what did you think was gonna happen when you two got together? That he'd suddenly change to a trophy boyfriend?"

"I don't see how he'd be any use to me as a trophy," she huffed. "I worry for him and I'd never ask him to quit. I'm asking him to cut down the hours he's working."

"Again, he's the sole hero for an entire city. A city where the police must've had to hand in their brains during the entrance exam."

"You're playing devil's advocate," Donna chided. 

"I'm not. I'm giving an explanation. I'm not saying he's right to run himself into the ground, I'm saying it makes sense that he would. I would agree in thinking he was an idiot but he's an idiot with his reasons."

"I shouldn't have made the ultimatum. He never takes it well and I know he fears blood on his hands. I just don't know what else to do," she explained, heaving a heavy sigh. "He says he follows the military sleep style of sleeping whenever possible but I never see him get more than half an hour."

"Did it only just start getting that bad?" Donna inquired. Whilst he never slept well, he used to get at least five hours in over the course of the day. She doubted Kori would start an argument over something she'd been so familiar with.

"Bruce brought on another protege. Younger than the last."

"Of course he has," the Amazonian muttered. "Has he met this one?"

"Briefly. His relationship with Bruce is strained but he says they're nice." She frowned down at her mug. "I don't know if he's trying to prove he's still of use or if this is just how he works through things."

"Probably a mix of both but getting angry won't help. You've got to coax him into it. Like a dog."

"He is not a dog, Raven."

"He's a man," she teased.

"I've gotta give it to Rae, it probably good to coax him into the idea of shortening his patrols rather than trying to force it but don't let that stop you from putting your foot down. You matter too."

"As if he ever lets me forget. I'm not competing with his job for attention. I'm competing with his job to keep him alive." 

Her phone buzzed, the noise gaining three sets of eyes staring at the screen. Dick was calling her and the pair not dating him darted their eyes away from the contact photo being a zoomed in picture of his butt in his Nightwing suit.

"You should really change that," Raven advised with a grimace.

"I like it," Kori defended.

"Does he have a zoomed in picture of your tits?"

"No, he has one from a photoshoot I did a few months ago," she replied, missing the sarcasm. She picked up the phone but hesitated to answer the call. She'd calmed down since leaving but she wasn't ready for whatever hollow promises he would give her to get her back home. Mostly because she'd fall for them, eager to hold him again. Her thumb hovered over the green phone icon before speedily hitting the red. 

"I wouldn't suggest the silent treatment. You know he hates it," Raven commented. "You don't have to forgive and forget but you can't shut down communication like that."

"I'll call him back when I'm ready to. He'll know I just need the time," she assured her friend before turning off her phone. He wouldn't take offence when they both agreed to have some time apart. He'd probably be a bit disappointed but she doubted it would hurt him. "Besides we should make the most of having the Tower to ourselves."

Nightwing stared at his phone. Call declined. Not out of the dog house then. He was firmly in the bastard with the door locked and the key was thrown into a bin. Not even a text to explain she wasn't ready to talk came through. Still, he tried his luck and sent her a text.

Dick: Hey, I know we aren't talking but I'm kinda stuck under a building - could we call it even?

Delivered but not read. He guessed he deserved that. He sighed and tried out his other contacts. He needed a super really. Although Roy would certainly keep him company, he doubted the hero would work any faster than the rescue team above him. Clark could work but he had his hands full with a case. Something to do with a clone. He hadn't really been listening. Diana was visiting family so that wasn't going to work. He could try the other Titans but Donna and Raven would be with Kori and would probably ignore him on principle.

That left Cyborg and Beast Boy. He stared at their names, trying to decide if they would've heard about the fight already or if they would have the sense to keep out of it. He'd give it a try anyway. 

Voicemail.

Voicemail that he thought was an answer before Beast Boy erupted in laughter halfway through.

What was the point of surrounding himself with superheroes if they weren't going to answer? He sent the pair a text but he didn't pin his hopes on getting an answer. Looks like he'd be waiting longer than he thought. He tried to get comfortable for his confinement. A shiver went through him as any warmth was sucked out of him by the cement. He'd have to work on his thermals. He supposed he could try to get a few winks. It wasn't like he was getting out any time soon and despite arguing with Kori about his sleep, he was tired. He could do with a nap although it wouldn't be the best sleep.

Kori was feeling a lot better as she began to take her leave back to the apartment. Sometimes it helped to just get out of the house for a bit. She was helping clean up the cups when she overheard the news mention Bludhaven. Out of interest, and because no matter how angry she was at Dick seeing him do some good for people with so little of it made her proud, she lingered by the coffee table to watch and grabbed the remote to turn up the volume.

"In breaking news, it has now been two hours since Nightwing disappeared after an apartment building collapsed for the second time. It's reported he entered the debris through a small entrance firefighters were unable to go through in search of trapped victims. Efforts to recover the vigilante were stalled when four firefighters were also caught in the second collapse."

She dropped everything she was holding and without saying goodbye, made her exit through the closest window. Why did she turn her phone off? It was just Dick's luck the night they had an argument was the night he needed her. She should've known better than to think he could ever go without getting himself into trouble when she needed the space. Donna could say everything there was to say about boundaries but there were a lot of things you sacrificed when you were both a hero and dating a hero. One of those was the ability to turn your phone off without someone dying. 

Nightwing didn't know how long he'd been asleep but he knew he'd been woken up by the sound of the rubble around him moving. He held his breath, waiting for his shelter to finally cave in and crush him underneath it like a bug. He would say a prayer if he wasn't so sure that whatever force there was had always been out to get him. His heart pounded and he tried his best to make peace with dying so soon. He couldn't but it was worth a shot. There was so much he hadn't done yet. He hadn't apologized to Kori, he hadn't said goodbye, he hadn't passed on any wisdom to the new Robin. Even after promising himself he wouldn't make the same mistakes he'd made with Jason, he'd done it again. Perhaps he just wasn't capable of change. At least, not change for the better.

The creaking got louder. It was coming closer. This was it. He squeezed his eyes closed and wished he'd just been able to sleep through so he could go out quick rather than having to wait in anticipation for it all to be over. Lights out. He was going to haunt the fuck out of whatever they built on top of this place. He'd scream into the night about the lack of funding for emergency services and write his apologies in blood on the walls. He might open some cabinets and knock a few things over too for good measure. 

This was it. 

He was going to die.

Cold, alone and trapped with no one knowing where he was.

Fuck.

The slab that had protected him with all its might moved. It didn't fall on top of him though. It moved to the side. Yet death didn't come. A crushing weight didn't leave him pinned to the dirt and force the air out of his lungs. He opened one eye cautiously and grinned when he caught sight of firey skin and red curls. 

"Kori," he breathed. "I love you and your muscles so much right now."

"You can kiss me later," Starfire replied, looking just as relieved he wasn't dead. 

"It'll be more than a kiss if I'm out of the dog house."

"Out of the house and onto the leash," she joked.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"If you're done flirting, we need to get him to a hospital!" an EMT shouted over. 

Merry Christmas and if you don't celebrate, happy holidays or just have a nice time off if you've got it!! I'm now gonna hibernate until next year 

Thank you for all the support this year!! i know I haven't posted as much but its the life of an adult 

I look forward to making it to a decade of writing fanfic to really solidify he's my favourite guy and I'm his number one fan, i have the name to prove it. See you next year!!