Just a short-little one-shot to get my mind off of NIGHTWING and MTF... :)
I DO NOT OWN. no duhr.
* NOT SLASH * (just fluff- 'cuz I LOOOOOOVE fluffin' it up! ;P)
"Come ooooon, Rob!" the red-haired fifteen-year-old whined.
Robin, pulling his thick leather jacket over his red sweatshirt, shook his head firmly, his black locks flying all around. "Wally, no matter how many times you ask me, I'm not telling you where I'm going."
Wally moaned, his green eyes rolling up into the ceiling. "C'mon, dude! It's Christmas Eve, and we all decided to spend it here together, remember?"
The team in the background- Artemis, her hair down for once, in a green dress that ran to her ankles; M'gann, in a pink, short dress and a white jacket, her red hair in a loose bun; Kaldur'ahm, his normal jacket replaced with a turtle-necked sweater, his silver eyes piercing; and Connor, his normal clothes on, only a Superman sweatshirt instead of a tee. They all watched as the thirteen-year-old grabbed his motorcycle keys.
"C'mon, KF. I'll be back in a few, alright? There's some... people I've gotta see, first. I- I promised I'd go see them this year. I- couldn't- last year..." His voice faded away, showing increased sorrow that only the empath and telepath of the group seemed to notice. M'gann furrowed her eyebrows.
"Robin?"
The boy turned on his way out, eying the Martian girl from behind his black shades. "Yeah?"
She smiled softly. "Merry Christmas. See you later, okay?"
He smirked back half-heartedly. "Okay."
And he left.
Only a few moments later, you could hear Robin's motorcycle screeching in the night, plowing out into the dark shadows and biting through the three feet of snow that surrounded the grassy mountain.
Wally immediately spoke up. "I'm following him! Who's coming?"
Kaldur'ahm cleared his throat uneasily. "I do not think that would be a very good idea-"
"I'm going."
Everyone turned to the archer, wide-eyed, as she stood, brushing off her dress. She scowled at them. "Take a picture. Lasts longer." Sashaying up to Wally, she turned and said, "And, anyways, Boy Blunder knows tons about us, I'll wager, so why can't we know a bit about him?"
Wally was shocked that Artemis was agreeing with him, but he was glad that someone was on his side.
Kaldur'ahm had a firm frown on. "I do not know if-"
M'gann suddenly stood. At Kaldur's shocked expression, the female blushed, her cheeks turning purple under her numerous freckles. "Well, I kinda agree with Artemis... I want to know more about Robin, too!"
Connor looked over to Kaldur, who was looking anxious, and shrugged, standing up. He walked over to the 'group' and stood next to M'gann, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Coming, Kal?" Wally grinned slyly.
Kaldur'ahm made an awkward noise in his throat that sounded somewhere between a growl and a sigh. "I suppose I have to, now."
Wally gave a 'whoop' and a fist-pump, then jetted off into the Bay. "Coming?" he shouted over his shoulder.
Rolling her eyes, yet smiling, M'gann began to ready the Bio-ship.
….
….
Robin sniffed in the air of the shop as he entered. Upon the door-chime, in came a short little Asian woman. She smiled at Robin, showing off crooked, white teeth, and began to ready a bouquet of flowers. "The usual, Richard?" she asked, gray hairs falling into her face.
She grabbed up some Lilacs, Roses, and even an out-of-season Sunflower before sprinkling some silver glitter on them and handing them to the black-haired boy before her.
Robin nodded, smiling gently, as he removed his sunglasses and put them in his inner-jacket pocket. "Thanks, Mae. And just-"
"-Charge it to card." She smiled again, the wrinkles around her eyes showing her cheery personality. "I know, I know, Richard. Go now. Say hello to them for me, yes?"
"Yes," Robin nodded, chuckling. "I'll tell them you said hi, Mae."
And he left the shop, the bell chingling behind him.
….
….
They had managed to track down Robin easily, due to M'gann's mind abilities. (Sometimes, it rocked to have a Martian for a friend.) And, now, they watched (in camouflage mode) as Robin entered the Flower Shop.
Wally groaned. "A flower shop? Seriously, Rob? You've got a girl friend? And you didn't even tell me? Me? Your best friend!"
Artemis leaned over and smacked the back of the speedster's head, receiving a satisfying 'OUCH!'. "C'mon, Baywatch!" she cried. "We don't even know if they're for his girlfriend- if he has one- I mean, seriously, it's Christmas time! They could be for his Mom, for all we know."
Wally, grumbling to himself, turned back to see Robin leaving the shop. "Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! He's leaving! He's leaving! Megan!"
The Martian nodded. "I know, Wally! Just one second... Here we go! Following Robin- now!"
Kaldur'ahm bit his lower lip, turning to face his team. "I still do not think that this is a good idea. We are intruding upon Robin's privacy-"
"He knows about us," Connor put in, voicing the earlier argument. "So why can't we know about him?"
Kaldur crossed his arms indignantly, turning back to face Robin speeding down the street on his bike. "I still do not think it is a good idea..."
….
….
Robin felt the cold wind biting on his cheeks, even with the shield on his helmet coming down to his lips. Dang! It's really cold... He suddenly remembered when it would snow while they were out, off for the night... His father would make snow-men with him, and his mother taught him to make a snow-angel...
A tear ran down Robin's cheek, and he rubbed it away gently as he turned past a street sign that said, Gotham Cemetery: 1 mile.
….
….
M'gann turned the ship just as Robin turned, not noticing the sign. Nobody noticed it, actually, but Artemis, living in Gotham, knew where they were headed...
She paled, her stomach dropping. "Um... guys? I don't really think we should-"
Wally openly laughed at the archer. "Chickening out, are we, Artie?"
She scowled firmly. "No, Boy Incompetence, I just... am rethinking our choice..."
"Too late," M'gann said as Robin parked his motorcycle in the parking lot of a little Sweets Shop. But, instead of going in, he turned around and, grabbing the bouquet and gently pushing it into his jacket, walked toward a dark, wide field of grass and...
"Tombstones..." M'gann gasped.
….
….
Robin parked his bike across from the Sweets Shop- his dad's favorite in Gotham, ironically... He would come back afterward, he told himself, and get some taffy.
He hated taffy.
But his dad loved it...
Picking up the bouquet of flowers, he watched as the lamp post's lights illuminated the glitter on the soft petals. Sunflowers were always mom's favorite... he thought with a heavy heart.
Gently forcing the flowers next to his chest, Robin thrust his numb fingers into his pockets and walked towards the cemetery. His breath came in white clouds, puffy and freezing. His nose, cheeks, and ears were burning from the gently falling snow, but the boy brushed it off gently, getting his hands wet.
His mom would sometimes make slushies from the snow...
"You have to get to the under-layer, though," she had told him. "It's cleaner, and colder!"
Robin bit his lip, fighting the tears that threatened to boil over.
The boy stopped abruptly, by habit. Turning, he saw two graves, both white marble that glistened in the moonlight.
John Grayson
Mary Grayson
….
….
M'gann parked the Bio-ship hesitantly. She looked over to Kaldur'ahm, who had turned an odd shade of green. Artemis was stark white. Connor was... Connor, and Wally was just... blue. Blue?
"Wally!" M'gann shrieked, hitting him sharply between the shoulder blades.
The red-head coughed, taking in air sharply. After he caught his breath, he said, "T-Thanks, M-M-Meg..."
She nodded. "No problem."
Connor stood, going for the door. Artemis squeaked, "Where are you going?"
He turned back, his blue eyes confused. "We came to follow him, right?"
"Yeah," Wally said softly, "but..."
M'gann followed Connor to the door, turning her skin a shade of pink- just in case. "Well... we are already here..."
Wally, biting his lip, turned to Kaldur. The teen sighed heavily before standing and following M'gann and Connor out. Artemis waited at the door for a moment. "Coming, Baywatch?"
Wally held back a shudder. "Y-Y-Yeah... R-Right..."
….
….
"H-Hey, Mom... Hey, D-Dad..." Robin licked his dry lips as he knelt next to the graves. The snow bit through his jeans, wetting his already freezing legs. "How've you been?" There came no reply. Robin chuckled. "Yeah... I've been good, too." He pulled the bouquet apart expertly. "Mae says hi..." There was a long silence. Then, "I've told you about Young Justice, right?" After pausing a moment, Robin smiled sadly. "No? Oh, well... You know I'm Robin, Batman's protege... Well, the other superheroes have proteges, too. There's Flash and KF- er, uh- Kid Flash... And Martian Manhunter and Miss Martian- Miss M, I like to call her... Then there's Aquaman and Aqualad, Green Arrow and Artemis, and Superman and Superboy... Well, Superman isn't really- eh, never mind...
"Anyways... I really like this team. They're great- they actually trust me." Robin scoffed. "I don't know why... No one trusts me- I guess it's just because I don't talk much about myself..." His face melted into a pained smile. "Aqualad- Kaldur'ahm- is the leader. He's amazing, Mom... He's always so calm and collected- a lot like you... He- He's like the dad of the group, I guess you could say...
"And, well, if Kal's the dad, then Meg's gotta be the mom..." He caught himself quickly. "Oh, yeah, Miss M is M'gann M'orzz. She's really, really nice. Kinda naive, but nice... She loves to bake, too, just like you, Mom!" Tears silently rolled down the boy's cheeks. "To be honest, though, Mom, no one could ever even touch your Snickerdoodles..."
Robin gently put one of the roses on his Dad's grave, another on his Mom's. "Dad, you'd like Connor, Superboy, I think... He has a bit of a temper, but he's really protective, like you. Smart, too... He's not street-smart, really, but man, anyplace, anything, anyone you want to know about, Connor could probably tell 'ya..." Robin sniffled, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "He's a big brother, really...
"Speaking of big-bros, I've told you about Wally West before, right? Well, he's Kid Flash... Cra-a-zy, with a capital 'Z'!" Robin laughed his signature cackle, only it was sad, not the usual giddy that frightened his friends and enemies alike. "Yeah, he's a lot like you, Dad... Really crazy, funny, but really nice, too... He's a bit protective, but definitely not as much as Supey... I've known him for years now, but..."
Robin sniffled harshly, several tears leaking from his eyes, down his cheeks, and dripping downwards, melting the newly-fallen snow that covered the graves. Robin quickly wiped it away, his blue eyes traveling all over the stones. He continued to 'hand-out' the flowers, making sure to put the Sunflower in the middle of the two graves.
"And Artie- she's a big sister to me... She's violent, aggressive, and understanding..." He smiled gently. "I think she's the only one that could even begin to understand me- besides Bruce and Alfred, I mean... And you guys..."
More tears boiled over, and Robin's voice cracked. "M-M-Mom," he whimpered, reaching out to graze his fingertips along the gravestone. "D-D-Dad..." He touched the other with his free hand. The tears flowed rapidly, now, shaking the boy's shoulders violently as he sat there in the snow, shivering. "I m-m-miss y-you guys..."
Robin's hands tightened around the tops of the graves, his fingernails digging into the marble, his knuckles turning white. "M-M-Mommy..." he whimpered. "D-D-Daddy..."
Slowly, Robin curled up into a ball and just laid there, next to his parents' graves. His whole body shook, wracked harshly by the sobs that he bit down on to silence. "I m-m-m-miss y-you..."
….
….
The team was as close to tears as they had ever been. They all stood, hidden, behind two large Weeping Willows. The words that Robin spoke about each of them... They were daggers, sharpened to a needle's point, thrust over and over and over into the teens' chests.
M'gann's tears came on when Robin's did- and in waves. Silent waves, though, thank God. He- he- he's 13! How can he- how does he- he just... Oh, Robin!...
Connor was angry- angry at himself and at the team for betraying Robin's trust... He trusted us... And we shattered that like- like- like it was nothing important at all...
Artemis felt broken, knowing Robin's secret... If only he knew mine... her mind whimpered as she pulled her arms together.
Kaldur'ahm was furious with himself, but also grieving with his friend. How could we do this to Robin? He's a child... He doesn't deserve our doubts... Kaldur's face fell as he blinked away a tear. He doesn't deserve to be an- an or- or- I- I can't even think it...
Wally, though, by far was the most distraught of the five teens. He was furious, depressed, anguished, grieving, and every emotion created by the Devil that you could think of. Robin! He- he trusted me! He believed in me! Me- his- his big brother...
Everyone suddenly met each others' eyes, and M'gann opened their 'link'.
'We need to go over there!' she cried. 'He- he needs to know that we followed him! We- oh, how could we have done this?'
'It was my idea,' Wally thought bitterly. 'I'll go first- I'll take the hits-'
'No.' Artemis's reply shocked them all. 'All of us deserve the blame- except maybe Kal-'
'No,' the Atalantean thought sharply. 'No- I went along with it. We all deserve the consequences for our actions. We will go to him together. As a team.'
They all nodded simultaneously.
Wally took the lead, plowing through the snow to get to Robin's shaking, prone form.
He stopped right behind the boy, dropping down to his knees. Robin didn't know he was there, yet.
"H-H-Hold me," Robin begged.
Okay, maybe he did know the others were there...
Wally pulled Robin into his arms, feeling the small boy's icy forehead under his chin. "God, Rob!" he cried. "You're freezing!"
Connor took no time in taking off his sweatshirt, leaving on only his tee shirt beneath. He tossed it to Artemis, who crouched down next to Wally, who leaned Robin forward. She wrapped it around the boy's neck and shoulders, kissing his icy cheek as she pulled back.
Everyone stood- or sat- in a circle around Robin. Wally held him, rocking him back and forth like an infant, whispering in soothing tones nonsense things- like the atomic symbols and numbers for different elements on the periodic table. The snow fell around them, chilling everyone- even Superboy- to the bone.
After what seemed like ages, Robin's sobs turned into gasps, then the gasps into hiccups. Soon, he was just wiping at puffy red eyes while Wally shivered against him.
"H-Hey, R-R-Rob?"
"Yeah?" the boy squeaked.
"C-C-Can we g-g-go n-now? I-I'm f-f-f-freezing my b-b-butt o-off!"
Robin giggled. "Yeah. Sure, KF..."
He stood shakily, then turned to the team, all of which stood after him. They all suddenly realized that Robin-
"Um, Robin," Kaldur'ahm said slowly, "your glasses-"
Robin shrugged. "Whatever. No use anyways... You've seen my eyes, so what?" He held out a pale, shaking hand. "The name's Richard Grayson. I go by Dick."
Wally, beaming, shook his best friend's hand. "Hiya, Dick! My name's Wally!"
Everyone else smiled broadly at getting to know Robin's real name.
"Sooooo..." Wally said. "I was thinking about that Sweets Shop..."
Rob- Dick rolled his eyes. "Yeah- I need to get some taffy anyways."
Connor cocked an eyebrow. "But you told me you hated taffy."
Dick shrugged, smiling nostalgically. "Yeah... But the memories are worth it..."
AW!
Stupid, I know.
ROBIN: hey, why'd you make me sound like a wimp?
SCOTTY: 'cuz I love ya!
ROBIN: um... okay?
SCOTTY: you know you love me, too!
ROBIN: yeaaaaaah, I do...
SCOTTY: and WHYYYYYY do you love me?
ROBIN: b'cause you're sexy.
SCOTTY: *blush* um... review, please!
ROBIN: Yeah! Review, and I'll ask Scotty out on a date!
*AWKWARD SILENCE...*
SCOTTY: !
ROBIN: *smirk* Yeah- I have that effect on girls. (It's totally the cape.)