[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

[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. ]

[runningstart]

[Wally just stands there in the entryway, hand on the doorknob still, dripping wet all over the tile and he's going to hear it in the morning if he doesn't clean this up. So he strips his costume down to his waist, gets the rest off upstairs and heads back down to drop a towel to the ground and mop up the water.

Kitchen. Food. He'll feel more even keeled with a triple-stacked PBJ in him.]

[performance]

[ It's several long minutes before Dick makes his way back downstairs, mostly dry and dressed in his pajamas and feeling at least 50% more like a human being. His hair's still wet, but at least it's pushed back off his face.

He sits at the table, turning the chair around to face the kitchen, and smiles at Wally, trying to ignore the sound of his pulse rushing in his ears. ]

I missed watching you decimate the cupboards.

[ He wishes his usual jokes didn't sound so much like flirting now. ]

[runningstart]

[Yeah it does kinda sound like flirting.

Wally only misses a single beat on that though.]

Yeah, it was getting kind of old hat for SB. He didn't like how many Pizza Rolls I ate in one sitting.

[performance]

You know what we should do? We should start hitting up every all-you-can-eat buffet in town. Take advantage of Florida's bountiful harvest.

[ oh crap oh crap DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A DATE? ]

[runningstart]

Hah! Okay, well we can't get the China Star over on Garden Grove, or the Jimmy's Buffet downtown. And nothing north of Bonita, I got all of those already.

[performance]

We could ransack the Pizza Palace and work our way south.

[runningstart]

Head south, then double back north and get to all the ones on the east coast. Slowly getting buffet-banned in all fifty states. [Wally pretends to give the idea some thought, assembling his sandwich.] I like it. Good plan.

[performance]

Alaska and Hawaii, too, huh? Well, I guess we don't do things halfway.

[runningstart]

Maybe we should hit those up first. If I'm gonna get systematically banned from every buffet from here to Hawaii then we might as well start out and work our way in.

[performance]

We can't go to Hawaii when I'm in a cast, dude, that's just not fair. How am I supposed to hit the beach in this thing? Plus: weirdest tan lines.

[runningstart]

Well ok, we can do that after it comes off. How long does that take? Like four weeks?

[performance]

More like six. So there go my plans for the summer.

[ He smiles a little ruefully, folding his arms on the table and resting his cheek on them. Alfred had said something about healing powers, but even if Dick did take him up on it... that would involve telling him, and by association, telling Bruce. He's not ready to think about that yet. ]

[runningstart]

[Wally sobers a little, chewing his sandwich. He watches Robin, then starts fixing another, considerably smaller, PBJ.] So...how'd you break your leg?

[performance]

[ Dick hesitates, but not for long. Just sighs, too tired to protest. He's told more uncomfortable truths tonight, anyway. ]

Don't laugh, okay? But I slipped.

[runningstart]

[Wally drops the knife. Thankfully it doesn't go far since he was spreading peanut butter, but still.] You slipped?

[He'd been expecting something like...geez, he didn't even know. "Tony Zucco is here" or "this Batman is crazy and pushed me off a building" but...slipped? Slipped?

Geez. ...he must really be out of it.]

[performance]

I know, okay? I know.

[ He sighs again, burying his face in his arms. ]

It's been a really rough few weeks. I guess... this was probably my wakeup call.

[runningstart]

You telling me. [Slipped. Robin!

Wally finishes the sandwich and drops it on a plate, slides it across the counter to Robin.]

Dude, if part of why you're freaking out is because I'm fighting with Artemis, don't...don't worry about it. We kind of... [He shrugs a shoulder. He doesn't like the idea of anyone getting involved in that but Robin is acting leader, so he should probably listen to the guy.] We're working on it. I'm- I'll talk to her. I promise. I'll work things out.

And- seriously, don't lose your head over Ba- Bruce. He didn't forget you, man, he's just not yours. [wally realizes that still sounds pretty shitty] Which isn't good, yeah, but it's not like yours doesn't exist. So if he approves of you, disapproves, whatever, it doesn't matter. It's his problem. You're you, and you're good enough for Batman and everyone else, while we're on the topic. [Wally offers Robin a weary smile.] So screw his opinions. Even if they're good. They don't matter.

[performance]

[ Dick hears the slide of the plate and looks up, blue eyes blinking at the sandwich before he realizes: that's for him. He takes the plate, fidgeting with the sandwich as he listens to Wally's advice. It's not until he hears you're good enough that he finally takes a bite, swallowing around a sudden lump threatening in his throat. ]

Yeah. Yeah, okay.

[ He still doesn't know what to say about Bruce, but at least he actually feels like he has a team again. Maybe tonight really was what he needed. For the first time in weeks, he's actually... kind of relaxed. Which is bizarre. ]

... sorry I've been a pain these last few weeks. It's just... a lot. Guess I kinda started cracking under the pressure.

I shouldn't have lectured you.

[runningstart]

[Wally shrugs uneasily. He can't say it's fine or okay, because he really didn't like it but it's not like it's a dealbreaker for him. If it was, he'd have run off on Barry long ago.]

Dude, if you don't want to be leader, I could give it a shot. [No way in a frosty hell would that ever work, and they both know it. Wally starts putting together a second sandwich for himself.]

[performance]

[ Dick just laughs tiredly, because yeah, no chance. ]

I just... I gotta figure out how to balance it, you know? I mean... being a leader and being me.

[ He shrugs, licking some stray jelly off his thumb. ]

... I like being your friend a lot more than I like being your boss.

[runningstart]

You and me both, dude. But I dunno if that's possible. [Wally glances up at Robin. That near-constant thrum of he likes me, he likes me is finally starting to quiet, because it's so normal for them and maybe Robin wasn't completely serious when he said it. Maybe he was just...y'know, saying he could date Wally. If they wanted to. Maybe that's what he meant.]

I mean, Kaldur's our friend but he's still...y'know, Kaldur. He's kind of still our boss. I wouldn't be with him like I am with you.

[performance]

Yeah. That's kind of what I'm afraid of.

[ Dick looks back down at his sandwich, still mostly uneaten on his plate. ]

I mean... I know we all have to make sacrifices. But I... I don't want to lose this. Us. You know?

[ That's... too many emotions. Too much sincerity. He clears his throat. ]

... so, that sucks.

[runningstart]

[Yeah. They can still be best friends. Everything's gonna be fine.]

Hey, I did say the circus was still an option. So if nothing else, we'd better think of a name for our act.

[performance]

Hah!

[ Some of the tension melts away, and he grins. Goofing around — that's normal. ]

So it's gonna be a duo act, huh?