Summary: You have been asked to finalize your choice of studies at your school, leading you to think about the future. You begin considering retiring from your line of hero work, but you are unsure what that means for your future and relationships – and how you could continue to help people. After returning to your shared apartment, Bart finds you upset and attempts to comfort you.

Notes: This was a request from @tid4lwave on Tumblr. Thank you! Reader is a member of the Bat family in this, as per the request.

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There was a thrumming behind your eyes, a headache threatening to become more. The words from your mentor intending to play on repeat in your head for the rest of the day.

"You need to focus on which path you intend to take if you're going to graduate on time – you can't keep skipping around from course to course. See if you can finalize your career path for school by the end of the week."

Easier said than done, you thought as you make your way out of his office and headed back to the apartment you shared with your boyfriend. He wouldn't be home for a few more hours – visiting in Central City. If you messaged him then you knew he would drop everything just to get back and cheer you up, but you were not about to take him from his family for the day. Not since Bart had moved to Gotham for you.

The apartment was just as you had left it when you stepped through the door, and you were thankful for the quiet, already feeling the stress threatening to overflow in the form of tears. Without your partner home you had no reason to stop them. Intent to crawl into bed and nap it away, at least until you could wake up for patrol and focus on that for the night. Ignoring the tears that had already made their escape, you could worry about cleaning up later, fiddling with your alarm as you stumbled into the dark bedroom – not realizing the curtains had not been drawn when you had left.

With abandon you drop into the bed, unceremoniously crumpling into a heap before startling yourself and the body you had landed on top of. A messy head of hair and a pair of groggy golden eyes peaked out from under the covers at where you now stood startled above him.

"Hey baby bat," he teased, the soft smile easily heard in his voice though you could not see his mouth.

Your brain still a bit slow you try to cover your face, but you're too late to hide it from your speedster. Without a moment's notice there is a gentle grip on your wrist before Bart is tugging you into his lap, the blanket tucked around the pair of you while he holds you securely.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

You shake your head, facing away as you try to pull yourself together.

"Y/n, come on, talk to me, let me help."

You huff, knowing at the least that he is right – and that Bart isn't going to let it go anytime soon if it had made you cry. "I had a meeting with my mentor today and we were talking about finalizing my path in college, what I wanted to do with my degree, you know, the future and." You halt mid-sentence as you look up at the ceiling.

"And what," Bart prompts, tilting his head so he can still see part of your face.

"And I don't know if I want to keep doing this – this vigilante thing." You breathe out, the dread settling over you as you wait for his response.

"Who said you have to?"

"I don't know - I just feel like I do. Like if I stop then I'll lose everything that comes with it. And I like helping people, I know I can like this but." You stop short, curling in on yourself. At least as much as Bart will allow.

"There are more ways to help people then what we do – and you wouldn't lose anyone." He assured, humming out the words as he traced lazy shapes across your back.

"I just don't want to lose my friends, and family, and I don't want to lose you either if I stop."

"I'm sure they'll understand, or at least they'll come around to the idea even if they don't." He absently pulled one of your hands away, intertwining it with his before shifting you to better face him. "And I'm not going anywhere."

"Do you promise?"

"Of course. You already know who I am, you know what this line of work takes. If we made it work while we were both heroes I know we'll be good even after."

You hum in agreement for a moment before meeting his eyes. "And telling Batman?"

"Push comes to shove we'll make Tim tell him."

You snort at that before hitting his bare chest lightly with the back of your hand. "We are not making Tim tell him."

"I think he'd have a fighting chance." Bart shot back, the grin on his face growing as the tension left your shoulders. "Or I can start dropping by more often if he acts like an ass."

"I feel like pissing him off would be the worst thing you could do in this case."

"But if he's angry at me then he's not angry at you."

You roll your eyes affectionately at his antics. "That is 100% not how that works."

He sighs dramatically before pulling you down onto the bed, both arms wrapped around your waist to keep you flush against him. "Hey, I'm serious, you know. This is going to be okay – if you're super worried about it you can keep up your training and help with major events. Or we could ease you out of it, instead of like, cold turkey quitting?"

"We live in Gotham; I'm keeping up my training regardless."

"Fair point. But still, you don't need to decide anything tonight."

"No but I have patrol later, I don't want to be all antsy about it."

"Call out?"

You look up, shooting him an incredulous look. "Really?"

Bart rolls his eyes this time, kissing your forehead. "Why don't you go to sleep, I'll message Tim and handle it. Then we can just worry about dinner when we wake back up."

"Bart it's fine -" You stop when you open your eyes to look at him. He's pulling the nuclear option: the puppy dog eyes.

"For me? Just stay in for tonight, please."

Letting out a sigh you give in, laughing when he fakes dramatics as you let your head fall back into place. "Alright, if you can convince them then I'll stay in for tonight."

"Thank you."

You yawn, breaking off your reply before settling in, the weight of the day wearing down on you – held at bay by the comfort and warmth of the speedster below you, his heartbeat lulling you to sleep.

Bart counts it as a win, feeling you nodding off before hearing your breathing slow down and even out. Carefully he shifts his arm for his phone, just barely within reach, and sends off a message to Tim. The reply is almost instant, and while he may owe an explanation later, their night is free. After tossing the device a bit away, he tucks the blankets back in around them.

Despite having been woken from his own nap only minutes prior, he finds himself watching you for a bit. Comfortable and relaxed, though he can see the tear stains on your cheeks from earlier. There is still a frown on your face, he notes, and slips his hand under your shirt, tracing a star into the skin. It works, and the frown ebbs away as you shift in a small bid to get closer to him if you physically can.

His breath catches for a moment before he places another kiss to the top of your head. He is sure, more than anything, that no matter what you choose, the pair of you will make it work. The ring in the drawer, that he had picked up today, would be proof enough of that.