[CLOSED]

[performance]

WHO: Dick, Artemis, and Wally
WHERE: Downtown Heropa.
WHEN: 7/12, nighttime.
WHAT: Robin's emotional turmoil culiminates in the world's stupidest injury. Stupid teenage dramatics to follow.
WARNINGS: References to a broken bone? And probably yelling.

[ It's 10:20 PM, and it's finally stopped raining that particular variety of Florida rain that's not so much like a drizzle as like the sky's just up and poured a bucket of water on your head. It's wet and it's too warm and there's still lightning flashing off in the distance, and Robin's just made the stupidest mistake of his career.

Okay, so no one realistically-fake-died, and nothing exploded. Which is a plus, considering his track record. But breaking a leg in a fall from a third story roof has to be — without any hyperbole — the most embarrassing thing he's done in his entire life.

He could make a lot of excuses: he's not used to the weather, the railing was slick, he hadn't checked his equipment, the terrain's unfamiliar, he's distracted and emotionally compromised. He doesn't have his team. Every single one is terrible, even if they're all true.

For several excruciating minutes, while he waits for the painkillers to work their magic, Robin debates his options. An ambulance would attract attention. He's pretty sure he couldn't hobble all the way to the hospital like this, even if there was one within the city limits. Maybe the ground will swallow him up right along with his shame and he won't have to admit that any of this ever happened.

It doesn't.

Out of reasonable options, he sends off a text with his coordinates to Artemis, who, logically, is the person on their team most likely to know how to deal with injuries:
SOS.
Achey breaky leg.
Please don't ask.

And moments later, a text to Wally with the same coordinates:
Need a ride to the hospital.
If you're not married to SB's couch now.
Faster is better.



It takes a minute for him to realize the gravity of his possible mistake. If they find a way to fight over this, too... well, maybe yelling makes bones knit faster. ]

Comments

[real_archer]

[Artemis, lost in her own thoughts, suddenly realizes she has no idea where they're even going. Before she can ask, however, they pull up in front of a bland, military house. In the rain and the dark it could be her own house, or Robin's. Hell, it could even be Kid Flash's for all she knows.

Hopefully, whoever's house it is, hers isn't too far away. It's still raining.]

... I guess we're here.

[performance]

[ Robin, like a pro, gave the cab driver the wrong address. It's a lot closer to Artemis's than it is to his and Wally's, though, because she already took the bus and she shouldn't have to trudge in the rain any further than she has to.

He gets his money out, paying the driver and tipping him generously for not asking any questions. Once they're all out of the car and he's situated on his crutches again, he gestures down the road. It's the same direction to both their houses, at least. ]

You're just a few houses down.

[ He smiles like an apology. They'll get wet again. ]

Sorry. Can't be too careful.

[runningstart]

[At least it's not raining as hard anymore. And at least their comms are waterproof, because KF just got done texting Zee and Conner. He climbs out of the taxi and frowns and the surrounding buildings before Robin gives them that look. Oh. Sure, hide their addresses from the taxi driver.

Bats.

He walks alongside Robin and checks his comm when it dings.] Rob, SB said to tell you, "I told you so." He said you'd get it.

[performance]

[ And he groans, so obviously he does. ]

Tell him he was right and I hate it.

[real_archer]

[Artemis isn't paying attention. She's gotten her bearings now and she is getting out of the rain.

She should probably invite them in too, even if at this point she's ready to just go home, take a shower, and get in bed.]

Can you guys talk about this later? Come on, my house is right there. I don't know about you, but I'd like to get dry sometime tonight.

[runningstart]

[That's about when the sky above them rumbles threateningly, and suddenly the light drizzle becomes a torrential downpour again. Wally definitely does not shriek, but he does grab Robin up, crutches and all, as they pelt over toward Artemis's house and tuck beneath the front step awning while she fishes out her keys.]

I hate this state! [Wally howls, probably way too loud for how late it is, but he does. He hates it. He thought Kansas humidity and sudden storms were bad, and then he got here. Florida has the added benefit of smelling like a compost heap whenever it rains and spewing mosquitoes the day afterward, so maybe it's also that.]

[performance]

[ He hates being carried around like some kind of purse dog and he hates this disgusting humid rain and he hates his crutches already. And beneath all of that, his stomach squirms. He'd told Wally everything. He knows. He knows. He knows. The thought's like a drumbeat keeping time behind his thoughts—

—and he accidentally whacks Artemis in the arm with his crutch as Wally hauls him under the awning. ]

Sorry! Sorry, it's hard to handle these in midair.

[real_archer]

[Artemis has just gotten the door unlocked and when Robin whacks her she stumbles forward into the hall, accidentally banging the door open loudly.

Well, if any of her housemates slept through Wally's yelling, they're definitely awake now. Rubbing her arm ruefully, she stomps inside.]

Try not to break anything, okay? I'll get towels.

[performance]

[ Robin mumbles another sheepish apology to Artemis before glaring up at Wally, squirming uncomfortably — doubly so because he's still hyper-aware of their conversation earlier. He'd be out of his arms already if not for the fact that the entryway is small, and he's trying not to knock anything else over while maneuvering the crutches. ]

Would you put me down? I broke a bone, I'm not dying.

[runningstart]

-huh? Oh, [Wally starts and puts Dick down. He'd gotten distracted, again. He wraps his arms around himself; this is like the fourth time in less than two weeks that he's ended up in wet spandex and he is not happy about it.

he likes me, he likes me]

[real_archer]

[Artemis comes back shortly with towels for all. She eyes them, dripping all over the front hall.]

How about we go to the kitchen?

[Yeah, nobody is dripping all over her room today, thanks. She goes into the kitchen and leans against the counter, trying to dry her hair for the second time tonight. Everyone is being silent and awkward and she's really hoping it stops raining soon so they can get out of her house and she can go take that shower she wants. It's been a long evening.]

... Well, I'm making tea.

[performance]

I could go for some tea.

[ Robin follows her to the kitchen so he can at least drip on a tile floor, leaning back against a counter with the towel draped sort of uselessly over his head, because how's he gonna dry a cape, anyway? ]

... I bet your hair takes forever to dry.

[ That's not awkward, right? Oh god someone please change the subject. ]

[runningstart]

[Wally scrubs his hair with the towel, runs it over himself and that's as good as he's going to get. He glances at Robin, looks away-

he likes me, he likes me

-and shifts on his feet.]

We should get going, [he blurts out, interrupting and not caring a lot of he did. He glances at Robin, again for too short a time and something enters the air between them that never has before. Not with Rob.]

...I can take you to your house. If you want. [KF never offers. He just...does.]

[real_archer]

[Artemis stops filling the kettle and turns.]

It's still raining.

[As if to prove her point, there's a clap of thunder that makes the lights flicker and the glasses in the cabinets rattle.

This is all just so weird. And uncomfortable. And Artemis knows she's missing something big, but she doesn't know what it is and she has a feeling that she doesn't want to know.

... But it is still raining.]

[performance]

[ Wally's nervous. About him.

No matter what, they've never been like this around each other. He doesn't want Wally to be anxious around him, doesn't want him to walk on eggshells or be afraid of — of whatever. Of him? He doesn't know, but his heart plummets to somewhere in the vicinity of his knees. But he's a pro, and if one of them has to be confident, then sure, it can be him.

So he shrugs like it really doesn't matter at all. ]

It's past his bedtime, Arty. He gets cranky.

[ His first smirk of the evening. ]

If you're tired, we can get out of Artemis's — ridiculously plentiful — hair.

[runningstart]

[Robin's giving him an out.

And Wally, he's going to be something of a coward and take it.] Plus this tank needs fuel, [he says a little more lightheartedly, patting his stomach.] I gotta go, and I can take Robin home. It'll just be a second, we won't even be out long enough to get our hair wet.

[real_archer]

... Fine, whatever.

[She turns back around, putting the kettle on the stove for herself.

It was probably stupid of her to think that the three of them could, you know, all sit together in one room for more than five seconds and have a cup of tea after a stressful night. It's not like anything's changed. Not really.

... Waste of two good clean towels.]

[performance]

[ Wait, did she want them to stay? Even though it's the middle of the night and they're all wet and exhausted and awkward? Robin isn't at all sure what to make of that, but it makes that thing in his chest that lives somewhere between guilt and fondness twinge a little.

He towels off his hair again, and the cowlick at the back of his head is suddenly obvious because it's sticking up like crazy. ]

Um, Artemis, I— [ He sighs, shooting her a smile that he hopes looks less exhausted than he feels. ] I'll call you soon, okay? So you can sign my cast?

[real_archer]

[Robin looks so exhausted and bedraggled. Of course he wants to go home--he just broke his freaking leg. She manages a tight lipped smile of her own.]

Yeah. Of course. See you soon.

[She doesn't look at Wally. Whatever kind of awkward understanding had started between them in the waiting room, that moment has clearly passed.]

[runningstart]

[Wally shifts his weight back and forth at the doorway to the entrance hall, not looking at either of them and only half-listening to their conversation. He wants to talk to Artemis, but at the same time it's the last thing he wants. He should probably talk to Robin, but hell no.

He just wants to get home, take a hot shower and pull his covers over his head for the next few weeks.

When Robin hobbles back over and he opens the door to see that yup, still raining, he glances over at him. He sneaks a glance at Artemis too.

She's using her Six Flags mug to pour out her tea.

Wally scoops Robin up, waits until he's got his crutches situated and they go back out into the storm.]

[performance]

[ Robin doesn't even complain for the sake of his dignity. He just wishes Wally wasn't so nervous around him. Wishes there wasn't this— this thing in the air between them. Wishes his best friend would just talk to him.

But despite all of it, he doesn't wish he'd never said anything. He was right: Wally deserved to know. Even if it made everything worse. It was true, whether he hid it or not.

He'd told the truth, and he'd have to hold onto that.

After a moment's deliberation, he shifts both crutches awkwardly into one arm and lifts his cape over both their heads. It doesn't do a lot to keep the water off, not when it's already soaked and they're running into the rain, but he hopes it's the thought that counts. ]

[runningstart]

[Robin lifts his cape, and it doesn't do a lot but it does some. Wally glances down at him, gives him a tight-lipped smile but doesn't say anything. Can't say anything.

It literally takes seconds to get them down to their house, and Wally flips up the mat where Levi hid the new spare key and unlocks the door, setting Robin down right away this time and re-hiding the key. ...that's seriously a horrible hiding place.]

[performance]

[ Robin can't head inside until he knows. Wally's only been gone for a week, and it's not even close to the longest they've gone without seeing each other, but it had felt like forever. And if Wally had really thought Robin needed his space, then... that's on him, and he has to settle that. So he lingers on the porch even after the door's unlocked, fingers tight on the handles of his crutches. ]

... So are you coming home?

[runningstart]

[No.]

Yeah. Yeah, I'm coming home.

[Wally follows Robin inside.

he likes me, he likes me]

[performance]

[ And that's such a relief that he forgets, for a moment, how weird everything else is. But then they're standing downstairs in their house in a dark foyer in full costume, and that suddenly takes priority. ]

If you wanna talk— I mean not talk, but just—

... I gotta... you know.

[ It's hard to sneak up the stairs on crutches, but he goes as quickly and quietly as possible, because if anyone catches him it'll blow his already extremely tenuous cover and that's the last thing he needs tonight. He doesn't look to see if Wally's gonna follow or not, because he's not sure he wants to know. Just heads to his room. ]