[Closed] You wanna know how to make me smile

[backwordscompatible]

Characters: Zatanna Zatara (backwordscompatible) and Dick Grayson Robin (hackingyoursensors)
Date: December 21st, after the Masquerade
Location: Wood Sector
Situation: Rooftop date
Warnings/Rating: C for Chalant


Tonight had been almost perfect.

A mix of good food, even better music, and an assembly line of friendly faces.  Some, she had never met in person until now.  Others, she was more than happy to reunite with.  Or have a little fun with (really, Wally made it almost too easy sometimes).  Conversations had been shared, dances had been danced, and in some cases, future plans had already been made.  All-in-all?  Just the temporary distraction she'd needed from everything.  

Unlocking the door to her quarters, Zatanna lightly hummed to herself as she shut it behind her without a second glance.  Her next steps took her straight to the window, opening it out of sheer habit.  Something she did whenever she was home and would be awake for a while.  The cool night air felt wonderful on her slightly feverish skin.  She inhaled the fresh scent of the trees outside as she sat down at the table, absently removing the pins from her hair so she could brush it out.  No doubt, after all that dancing, she must've looked quite the sight.

Not that she really minded.

Comments

[backwordscompatible]

He hated the thought. She wasn't blind to that; there were only so many reasons why he would even (grudgingly) agree to something like that. It certainly wasn't because of any added faith in her father over her. It was because she had asked him.

In gratitude, she tilted her head up and placed a light kiss against his cheek. Lingering just a moment longer than a peck to show it was deliberate. Not spontaneous, like usual.

"Thanks Robin," she whispered in his ear, before settling back into her spot beside him. Burrowing a little further into his arm as her gaze returned to the stars above.

Even if it didn't work. Even if Robin was right, and nothing he said would be able to convince Zatara to wait...just the knowledge that she was doing something about it...for a little while...provided some comfort. Not much, but enough.

[hackingyoursensors]

The peck on the cheek startled him, but it didn't feel nice. Not the way he expected it to. The context completely soured it. He doesn't want to be thanked for doing this. Sometimes, he just wants to forget what's waiting for him back home.

Sometimes.

His expression is calm but he's troubled. It was a no-win situation, in the end.

He always hated those.

[backwordscompatible]

She's ruined the moment.

This was supposed to be a fun night of two really...really good friends, sharing a tree branch while gazing up at a group of unfamiliar constellations. Maybe even coming up with names of their own. Laughing over the Masquerade he's missed out on, and maybe even trading off a few stories of the day.

The worst part was that she wasn't sorry. It was something that had needed to be done, and there wasn't anybody she trusted on the Turtle more than him. She was certain there was a way out of this mess. That her dad would come through, in a different way than had played out in the vision Eva showed her.

For the moment, though, she tried to put that behind her. Focus on the boy next to her, and the cool night air. It was really all she could do.