One last spell

The original fanfic

eugolorP – uoy nac llac em kciD

“Take your mask off.”

Zatanna’s eyes were smiling, her whole face glowing. Dick’s breath caught
at the sound of her voice—partly because he was so wrapped up in the moment,
lost in her charm, and partly because he honestly hadn’t seen it coming. Of
course Bruce wouldn’t approve of him removing the mask like this; he’d always
been very clear about the rules: mask or sunglasses on. But how would Bruce
ever know? And Zee had asked so sweetly. Dick was too into her to resist.
They had kissed earlier—well, she had kissed him, actually. He’d never
kissed a girl before, and it felt like the best thing life could possibly offer. Just the
memory of her lips pressing against his made his skin shiver all over again. After
all the Justice League chaos, after the sixteen hours blah blah blah, how could
Dick care about any of that when he had just kissed Zee?
The team had gone back to Mount Justice to celebrate New Year’s, it was
still an hour away in Happy Harbor, and Bruce had said he could stay over—but
only if he was responsible and remembered he was still just thirteen. That was
ridiculous. Dick hated when Bruce started acting like his father. He wasn’t his
father.
 Zatanna was still waiting for an answer, and the mask was still on. Her
smile was shining, her face close enough for him to count every eyelash as they
lay face to face on her bed. The team had chatted for a bit after getting back to
the cave, then everyone found a spot to crash. Usually, when Dick stayed the
night, he bunked with Wally, but Wally wasn’t there yet, he knew. Everyone had
been busy. Zee had invited him to check out her vinyl collection—seriously, how
cool was a girl who collected vinyl?—and after a while she’d stretched out on the
bed, and he’d followed. Nothing more to it. Just one of those endless
conversations that felt like they could go on forever.
Dick’s fingers brushed over the mask. He was going to do it. How could he
say no to her? And just like that, in one quick motion, the mask was off. He felt
exposed, vulnerable, almost naked. But Zatanna’s smile widened instantly, like
she’d just won some priceless secret.
“So Boy Wonder has blue eyes,” she teased, her tone playful and
impossible to read. She was always hard to read. She disarmed him so easily it
made him feel foolish.
“I guess,” he muttered, which sounded dumb—of course he knew his own eyes
were blue.
Zee laughed softly, running her fingers through his hair before tracing them
down his cheek. Her touch was so gentle it made his chest ache.
“I guess Wonder isn’t your real last name, then,” she teased again, her voice
carrying that same playful lilt.
Dick was so mesmerized by her that it took a moment to sink in.
“What?” he gasped, instantly feeling like an idiot for forgetting his own name.
“I mean… no… of course not,” he stammered, trying to smile, but she was still
waiting.
“I’m… I’m Richard. Richard Grayson.”
Zatanna laughed, and his stomach twisted.
“I’m sorry,” she said, grinning. “But you don’t really look like a Richard. I never
would’ve guessed that was your name.”
Well… he had never felt like a Richard either.
“Nobody calls me Richard. Back home, I’m Dick,” he said, shrugging.
 She leaned closer, brushing her fingers over his cheek again, sparks
practically jumping off her touch.
“You really do look like a Dick,” she teased.
He swallowed. Was that his chance to be witty?
“Not sure if I should be flattered by that,” he said, trying to sound cool.
Zee laughed again, clearly amused. “You’re such a fool,” she said, sticking
her tongue out playfully.
Dick took a deep breath and crossed his fingers hoping he wouldn’t sound
too much like Wally.
“Well… I’m a fool for you,” he admitted, feeling his heart hammer.
Her smile softened, eyes dropping like she’d suddenly gotten shy. Then
she leaned in and kissed his cheek. His head spun from the soft press of her lips.
Maybe he should try being funny again.
“I don’t know what my parents were thinking. I could’ve been Ric, but nope…
always a Dick,” he added with a small grin.
Zatanna tilted her head, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. Dick knew he was
about to retell the story, though the rest of the team had already heard it. Surely,
he was telling her too.
“You always go home at night, and it’s like I know nothing about you… you
mentioned your parents—are you, like, Batman’s son or something?”
Dick had seen that coming, so here he goes again. He ran a hand through
his hair, trying to steady himself. He didn’t like telling this story, but somehow it
felt fair to her—the right thing to do.
“So… I had a family. A full one. Mom, dad, cousins, uncles, aunts. We lived
in a circus. We did trapeze, and honestly… we were really good at it.”
Zee leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand, eyes wide. “So, you’re
an artist too… a performer?”
Dick smiled, shrugging. “I am. Or, I guess, I used to be.”
“Once on stage, always a performer,” she said, nodding slightly, a playful
glint in her eyes. And she was right—he always would be.
“But what about your family? Why did you leave the circus?” She fidgeted
with the hem of her sleeve, clearly curious.
 “Well… when I was nine, one night they were performing a number I was
too young for. I remember feeling so jealous of my older cousin—it was the most
exciting act—but I had the best view in the house.”
Dick paused, looking at her. Zee’s smile was bright, but he knew it wouldn’t
last.
“We were in Gotham that night, and a man named Tony Zucco tried to
extort money from the circus owner. The owner refused, and Tony decided to
target the main attraction… my family. He sabotaged the ropes, and I saw all of
them fall to their deaths.”
His voice thickened, and he swallowed hard. He’d told the story before,
but it never got any easier.
Zee’s hands flew to her mouth. Her eyes were wide, tears threatening. She
shook her head slightly, as if trying to process it.
“My cousin was the only survivor, but he was too injured to take care of
me. Batman was there when it all happened. He adopted me and helped bring
Tony Zucco to justice.”
Dick exhaled slowly, letting her absorb the summary. Zee’s fingers lingered
over the edge of the bed, twisting the fabric.
She blinked, then laughed softly, a little nervous, and poked his shoulder
lightly. “Wow… okay. That’s… intense. I didn’t expect… all of that.”
Dick chuckled quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah… it’s not exactly
a party story.”
Zee nudged him again, smiling faintly, but her eyes stayed serious.
“Thanks for telling me. I’m… really glad you did.”
For some reason, Dick felt like this conversation could go even deeper. He
didn’t feel bad about it at all—in fact, sharing all this with Zee made him feel
unexpectedly connected to her in a way he couldn’t quite explain.
“I’m glad I did too, in a way… and you asked if I’m Batman’s son. I don’t
really have an answer for that. Legally, yes. But in general… I’m never really sure.
I’m very grateful to him, don’t get me wrong, but he can be… you know… very
Batman-like.”
Zee smiled again. “Yeah, I know. He talked to me a few days ago, and
he’s… terrifying in a way. That deep voice…”
 Dick laughed shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. “You get used to it over
time.”
But now he wanted to know what Bruce had said to her—and just like she
could read his mind, she answered:
“He wants me to get back to school, you know… try to be a normal kid.”
Zee sighed before continuing. “He thinks it’s important for me to see other
people every day, make new friends. He’s been worried not just about my
education, but my mental health. As you may know, my mom… she died of cancer
two years ago.”
Dick hadn’t known that. Her eyes welled up again, and he felt an instinctive
urge to reach out, the same one he’d felt that fateful night when her father put the
helmet on—he wanted to hold her so nothing could ever hurt her again. But for
now, holding her gloved hand was all he could manage.
Zee looked at his also gloved hand and smiled before continuing.
“And now… since I don’t have my dad either, I told him I can’t go back, not to the
life I had there—not with so many pieces missing.”
Dick felt a pang of recognition. Unfortunately, he knew exactly how she
felt. His chest ached for her—she deserved better. She was the most amazing
girl in the world. It wasn’t fair.
“So… Batman said he understood my situation. He told me I could go back
to school after winter break—here in Happy Harbor with Conner and Megan, or
in Gotham with Artemis’ class.”
Dick felt sad for everything Zee had gone through, but in a way, he was
glad Bruce had given her options. If she chose Gotham Academy, they would see
each other every day. She would probably love the new school. And Bruce was
right—she needed to get out of the cave, to socialize. It had been too much
trauma in too short a time.
“And… have you made up your mind yet?” Dick asked, trying to sound
nonchalant, though he always sounded chalant around her. He rubbed the back
of his neck nervously.
“Not yet. I mean… Artemis has been such a great friend, so I tend to lean
toward Gotham, but I’m not sure…”
Dick noticed she was still holding his hand. That little touch made him feel
more confident. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze.
 “Well… I don’t want to influence your decision, but I study at the same
school as Artemis. I wouldn’t mind having you around every day,” he said, smiling
shyly.
Zee’s smile grew, a hint of warmth and relief in her eyes. She let go of his
hand just long enough to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, then returned to
holding it, tighter this time.
“It would be nice to have one more great friend around,” she said, messing
his hair with her other hand.
But… wait. A friend?
They had kissed earlier. A New Year’s Eve kiss. A real kiss—on the mouth.
And now she was calling him a friend?
Dick could swear he heard the sound of his heart shattering into a billion
pieces.
Okay. He had to focus. Pull himself together. Of course he was a friend—
Zee had just told him. She had been through hell the past few days, and having
a boyfriend was probably the last thing on her mind right now.
He felt like an idiot for thinking he even stood a chance—and for being
surprised he hadn’t. She had kissed him, but… it could mean nothing, right? She
was a bit older; she’d probably done it before. Had she? Was that important? Why
did he even care? Was he jealous? He felt like a total dick. Truly.
Zatanna’s eyes narrowed, and Dick realized he’d been staring too long,
taking too much time to answer.
“Oh… yeah. You think I’m a great friend… thank you. And you’re also a
great friend,” he mumbled.
It sounded terrible. Maybe he should just give up—it would be less
embarrassing. His face was on fire.
Zee, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying herself.
“You are a very special friend, Dick, for sure.”
Alright, that was a little better than just a great friend. And she looked so
pretty. Maybe it was the light — her hair sprawled across the pillow, the tiny glitter
sparks on her cherry gloss he already knew the taste of, or the soft curve of her
neck leading down to that bow tie. She was a stunning woman, and he was
nothing more than a boy. A boy wonder, as she liked to tease, but still… just a
boy.
 “You are a very special w—” Dick caught himself, stumbling, “—person.”
He corrected quickly, not even sure why. “You’re a very special person to me,” he
repeated, steadier this time.
She smiled, lowering her gaze. For a moment, time seemed to freeze. The
silence wasn’t heavy, just lingering — like neither of them wanted to break it. Dick
wondered what she could be thinking.
But it was getting late. Really late. His body felt heavy from the long day
— Roy being revealed as the mole, his fight with Batman (which he’d actually
managed to hold his ground in, surprisingly), and then Zee… kissing him. And
now lying on her bed, both of them lost in each other’s eyes. It all felt unreal.
“Well, I should go. You must be tired.”
Zee pouted, her lips curling adorably. “Nooo, I loved talking to you tonight.”
He had loved it too. “Maybe we could do it again sometime,” he said,
pushing himself up while putting the mask back on his face.
She got up as well to walk him to the door. The room was still a mess of
boxes — like she hadn’t quite figured out where her new life belonged yet. When
she opened the door and he stepped into the hallway, Zatanna leaned in and
hugged him, her arms looping around his neck. Dick wished he was taller, but it
didn’t matter. It felt warm, safe — like floating on cloud nine.
When they pulled apart, Dick tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
She smiled softly before kissing his cheek.
“Good night, Boy Wonder.”
Trying to lighten the moment, he grinned. “Say it backwards.”
She chuckled and played along: “doog thgin, yob rednow kcid.”
He couldn’t believe she really did it. “Now, it’s a lock,” he joked, and she
laughed again before closing the door.
The second it shut, joy flooded through him. His stomach felt alive with
butterflies, every single one fluttering at once. Nothing had ever made him feel
like this.
By the time he got back to his room, Wally was still awake, waiting with a
smirk already forming. Dick knew exactly what was coming, but nothing could
wipe the grin off his face.
“Dude,” Wally blurted, unable to hold it in, “I have a girlfriend.”
 1
yppaH yadhtrib, yob rednow

“I don’t think I want to talk about this.”

Zatanna noticed she was avoiding eye contact.
“It’s okay, Zatanna,” Black Canary said softly. “This is a safe space, and I
respect your boundaries.”
“I mean… am I here to talk about my family?” Zatanna twisted a strand of
hair around her finger, glancing at the floor.
“Not exactly,” Black Canary replied, tilting her head slightly. “We’re here to
talk about you, and whatever you think is important to share.”
What was important? That question kept circling in her head, over and
over. What were her priorities now? Ever since Zatanna had gone back to school,
everything felt still, almost mechanical. Sure, Artemis was a great friend — the
best — but Artemis had her own life too, her own circle. That Beth Kane, for
instance. Zatanna couldn’t stand her… though she tried, for Artemis’ sake.
Days blurred together: school, the cave, homework, the occasional
mission. Sundays meant talking to Black Canary. It helped, she supposed, but
not in the way she wanted. Talking about her feelings out loud felt like peeling her
own skin, and she hated it.
 Batman had made it clear: she wasn’t allowed to quit therapy until Canary
said she was fine. And Zatanna knew she wasn’t. Not even close.
Still, whatever they were talking about now felt pointless. Trivial. It had
nothing to do with her family, nothing to do with the loss that kept tugging at her
chest. Why waste time on this, when none of it touched what really mattered?
“But it doesn’t seem to be part of my problem… after everything I’ve been
through.”
Zatanna’s shoulders slumped slightly, a faint tremble passing through her
hands.
“A person can have many problems,” Black Canary said, her voice calm
but firm. “And this seems like a normal issue for a fifteen-year-old.”
What was normal, anyway? She wasn’t a normal fifteen-year-old. Most
fifteen-year-olds weren’t this messed up. Sure, she worried about grades … but
all of that felt small compared to the kind of crap she had to carry.
And it wasn’t just the powers—though, yeah, that alone already set her
apart from most girls her age. It was more than that. She didn’t have the time, or
the space, for the things normal teenagers cared about. Canary’s face stayed
steady. She wasn’t going to give it up, was she?
“Fine,” Zatanna murmured, fidgeting with her sleeves. “I’ll tell. Where was
I anyway?”
“You said Raquel’s tone made you uncomfortable.”
Yeah. Raquel. Rocket. The girl she used to think of as a friend.
“Right… Raquel asked, ‘What’s your thing with Robin, anyway?’ Her voice
was calm, but it cut sharper than it should’ve. Like she wasn’t just teasing—she
actually wanted an answer.”
Zatanna hesitated, replaying the moment in her head. “The four of us were
just hanging out in the kitchen. Artemis cracked up right away, told Raquel good
luck. She’d tried to get me to spill about a million times, and I said nothing, never,
because I never wanted to, is it so difficult to understand?”
Zatanna’s hands twitched slightly as she recalled it. “I forced a chill
expression and asked what they meant, and Artemis leaned back, clearly
shocked by ‘my boldness’. M’gann raised an eyebrow and said she didn’t need
to read my mind to know there was something between Robin and me. I didn’t
know what to say, and Artemis kept going, talking about how he and I behave
when we meet at school. She said I get all smiles and butterflies when he says
‘hello’—which is not true, for the record—and there was no way I could pretend
nothing was going on.”
Zatanna’s hands curled into fists in her lap. Talking about Artemis like that
didn’t feel right. That wasn’t what she meant. She didn’t want Canary thinking the
problem was Artemis. Artemis was loyal. A good friend. The real issue was Raquel
“Raquel’s expression stayed unreadable”.
Black Canary still looked calm. “Why do you think they were suggesting
there was something going on between you and Robin?”
The question caught Zatanna off guard and she could feel her cheeks
heating up. Therapy was about honesty, wasn’t it? So, she had to say it.
“I guess… they were right. Something is definitely happening between us.
It just isn’t easy to put into words”. Zatanna expected Canary to look surprised. But
she didn’t. She just nodded, silent, agreeing. So, Zatanna kept going.
“Raquel tried to sound casual when she agreed to M’gann and Artemis
there was something going on. She said she was just curious. But somehow her
tone made me feel like there was another layer behind her curiosity. My stomach
tightened, and I wanted to reveal everything… but I couldn’t.”
That part was true. She wanted to say it—Dick liked her. He had said he loved
spending time with her.
Looking at Raquel’s face while saying the whole truth… that would have
felt so good.
“Okay, you told me what happened, but you didn’t tell me how it made you
feel. Why did Raquel’s tone get under your skin so deeply?” Black Canary asked,
her eyes softening, voice gentle but insistent.
Zatanna hesitated. She knew the answer, but saying she didn’t want to
would prompt the usual reminder about safe spaces. Why were they still talking
about this silly stuff and not her real trauma? Maybe if she stalled a little, she
could steer the conversation elsewhere.
“Can I finish the whole story, and then we talk about my feelings later?”
she asked, wringing her hands.
Black Canary’s smile was warm and patient. “Of course.”
“Well… I told the girls we had kissed on New Year’s Eve, but I said it hadn’t
been a big deal.” Zatanna lowered her eyes. “I explained that we just talked
sometimes, that we were friends.” She paused. Again, she had to be honest.
“Friends who kiss occasionally—but they didn’t need to know that detail.” Saying
it out loud felt embarrassing. And again… Canary didn’t seem surprised.
“Okay, so you told your friends that the kiss on New Year’s Eve wasn’t a
big deal, but it happened a couple more times, right?” She asked, folding her
hands neatly in her lap, her gaze steady.
Zatanna nodded, swallowing hard.
“And what would you say if you had to define your connection with Robin?”
Zatanna shivered at the mention of his name, her fingers tightening around
her knees. She had never spoken about him in therapy… about… them.
“I guess I’d say he’s one of the most compassionate people I’ve ever met,”
she murmured, voice soft, almost trembling. “He listens—he really listens—and
he’s been there for me more than anyone else through everything I’ve gone
through these past four months. I keep telling myself there’s nothing wrong with
whatever this is between us… though I’m not even sure what to call it. There
are… little things.” Her eyes flicked to the floor as if searching for the words.
“Flirtatious comments during missions, late-night talks in my room when he ends
up staying at the cave—not that it happens all the time. And sometimes…
sometimes I kiss him. I can’t help it. Sometimes I just feel so into it I could melt
away. But it’s rare. The last time was about a month ago.”
She hesitated, biting her lip. Dick did everything in such a fond way. They
were always texting. He would smile so widely whenever their paths crossed at
school. They shared one subject together, and that was always the best part of
her week. The teacher liked group discussions, and Dick… the way he spoke was
smart, and kind in a way that made her chest tighten.
Sometimes, Zatanna caught herself wishing for some random disaster just
so they could go on a mission together. All these thoughts swirled in her mind,
and suddenly she remembered the endless daydreams she had about him before
falling asleep—how he seemed… wondrous. Thinking about him made her
loneliness feel good sometimes. But that? That was something she would never
admit to anyone. Ever.
“So, about what Raquel said,” Black Canary asked, leaning slightly forward
and bringing Zatanna back to reality, “it seems like normal curiosity—something
friends would ask. From what you’ve told me, you and Robin have been spending
more time together; maybe she noticed. What exactly made you feel
uncomfortable?”
Great, one easy question at least.
“The way it seemed like she wasn’t just curious because we’re friends, but
because she wanted to check if we were really together.”
Black Canary furrowed her brow. “And how did that make you feel?”
Zatanna thought for a moment. No other word fit what she was feeling.
“Jealous… I guess,” she muttered, her cheeks flushing again.
Black Canary nodded. “Got it. So, you thought Raquel might be interested
in Robin, and that made you feel threatened?”
No, definitely not! She didn’t feel threatened, just a bit jealous, but not
much of course. That was normal, right? And besides, she hadn’t finished telling
what happened.
“No, her question wasn’t the only thing. She told Artemis she should know
something, because Wally and Dick are best friends, and Artemis said Wally
mentioned Dick never talks about us, no matter how hard he insisted.”
Zatanna looked up for a moment. She knew Black Canary was about to
ask how she felt, so she tried to anticipate. “I felt glad that he told Wally nothing,
because I asked him not to tell anyone. It proves he’s very trustworthy… but I
don’t know…”
Black Canary opened a mischievous smile. “Somehow, you wanted him to
talk about you to his best friend.”
Zatanna sank back into her chair, a small smile tugging at her lips. Yes,
that’s exactly what happened, but she didn’t have the courage to say it loud. “I
guess…”
“And you wanted Raquel to know you’re important to Dick.”
Bingo. Canary was right again. Annoying, wasn’t it?
“I wouldn’t say I’m… you know… important to him. I don’t even know how
to define my place with him.”
She looked back at Zatanna, like she was about to get even more
annoying.
“You also said you’re not sure how to define the bond you have. Why do you think
that is?” she asked softly, leaning forward.
 That was the point where Zatanna realized she didn’t know the answer. It
just didn’t feel right, for reasons she couldn’t quite put into words.
“I’m not sure. It just feels… complicated.”
She looked away, twisting her hands together in her lap.
“Why?”
Why? Wasn’t it obvious? It was just complicated, how could she elaborate?
“I know Dick likes me—really likes me—but everything in my life is such a
mess right now. I just… feel sorrow all the time.” She pressed her palms briefly
against her eyes. “I thought the pain of losing my father to Dr. Fate would fade
with time, but it hasn’t. Not yet. And I start to think it never will.” Zatanna took a
deep breath. Maybe Black Canary really knew what she was doing, because this
conversation went from silly to deep so fast. “I still remember the moment I
realized my mother’s death would never feel any lighter… and now I’m afraid the
same is true with my father. Carrying that weight makes it so hard to let myself
feel any joy. And yet, every time I’m with Dick, it’s like the world finally falls back
into place, like everything makes sense for that short moment. But at the same
time… there’s this sharp pang of guilt, like I’ll never really have the right to be
happy while my family is broken the way it is.”
Zatanna wasn’t crying; she hated crying in front of people. That was
something she saved for her bedroom later. She hadn’t planned on spilling all of
this, but it happened—and at first, it felt awkward.
Black Canary’s eyes softened, and she leaned forward slightly. “You have
the right to be happy, Zatanna. Happiness and sadness are not opposites. You
can feel all the sorrow you need to feel for losing both of your parents the way
you did, and still feel butterflies in your stomach about a boy you say you can’t
help but kiss sometimes.”
Zatanna shifted in her seat, eyes dropping to her hands as she absorbed
the words. There was affection in Canary’s voice, but it rang false—not a real lie,
just the kind told by someone too naïve to know better.
“Healing doesn’t mean you’ll forget what happened, or what your parents
mean to you,” she continued, gently. “It means you’ll be able to live your life
without holding your happiness back, even after the saddest things have
occurred.”
 A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at Zatanna’s lips. For the first
time in a long while, the weight in her chest felt a little lighter. Even if so many of
these things still felt like lies, she let herself imagine that maybe… happiness and
sorrow could coexist after all.
But finishing the story was harder when she kept having to stop and talk
about her feelings.
“Well, while we were talking, Wally got into the kitchen, claiming to know
what we were talking about him. You know him—he’s always so nosy. Artemis
told him we were talking about the ‘love robin birds.’ It was so lame. I thought my
face would never stop flushing. And then Wally told me it was Dick’s birthday, and
that he had said he would be here soon. We had a mission in the morning, so I
knew that was true, and we heard the Zeta-tube a few seconds later.”
Black Canary’s eyes widened slightly, maybe surprised that Zatanna
hadn’t mentioned the talk about happiness and sorrow, but it seemed to help
anyway.
“How was the mission?”
“Normal. But after it, when we got back, I thought it would be appropriate
to say Happy Birthday, because… you know… he’s special to me, in a way.” Dick
sure was a special person, in every possible sense.
Black Canary remained quiet, so Zatanna continued.
“I spotted him heading toward the Zeta tube, so I caught up, kissed his
cheek, and said happy birthday. He didn’t react the way I expected… but then
again, I wasn’t even sure what I was expecting. He seemed… embarrassed,
somehow, I got worried.”
Admitting it brought a pang of self-pity. Was she being ridiculous? Creepy,
even, for just knowing it was his birthday? They hadn’t been alone in a while.
Maybe he didn’t even like her that way anymore. He couldn’t wait forever, could
he?
“Well, if he didn’t tell you it was his birthday, I assume he could just be
surprised, right?”
Zatanna thought about it and nodded slowly; it made more sense. “I
guess… I think he realized I was kind of embarrassed too, so he asked me to say
it backwards.” She couldn’t help but smile lightly at the memory. “It’s a thing of
ours, I guess. Every time we say good night, he asks me to say it backwards, and
then he says ‘it’s a lock,’ because it’s like I’ve cast a spell for the night to be good.
So I said, ‘yppah, yadhtrib yob rednow,’ and he smiled, saying it was a lock—just
like I knew he would.”
As she finished the sentence, she caught herself wondering if maybe she
shouldn’t have shared that—it sounded so childish out loud. Still, Zatanna felt a
thrill at the thought that they really had a thing… just theirs.
“It seems like a normal interaction to me. Why did you get so worried about
it?”
Right, there was this part too.
“Well, once I was getting back to my room, I heard Wally’s voice, and he
said something like, ‘dude, you’re welcome.’ So, he saw us.”

Black Canary looked puzzled.

“And what’s the problem with Wally seeing you kiss Dick’s cheek for his
birthday?”
Zatanna sank slightly into her chair. “He could tell the others…” And that
would be embarrassing. Not that she was ashamed of liking Dick—actually, she
was pretty sure he liked her back—but sharing it like this just didn’t feel right.
“Right. You told the girls Dick was your friend and that the kiss from New
Year’s Eve meant nothing, but you told me he’s special to you. Would you like to
elaborate on your relationship?”
“I don’t think I want to talk about this.”
Zatanna noticed she was avoiding eye contact.
 2
tsuj wollof ruoy traeh, dude

March 20th had never been so crazy.

Dick was trying to pull himself together. This was definitely a lot to cope with. All
he managed to say was, “Wow, just… wow. And… uh… why?” Barbara bit her
lower lip. “Dick… why do you think?”
Crap. Why did this have to happen now? Dick had been in love with
Barbara Gordon for as long as he could remember. From the first time they met,
it had been instant—it hit him so hard he was certain that spark would never fade.
But in the last few months, he had believed his heart had found another way.
And now, here he was, inside the closet at his fourteenth birthday party,
and she had kissed him. His first instinct was to push her away, but he hadn’t.
Actually, if he hadn’t wanted this to happen, he shouldn’t have agreed to play the
bottle game in the first place. He knew it could happen, but it still felt unlikely. Why
do you think? Her words echoed in his head, and he had no answer. He thought
of nothing.
They had been friends forever. She was his closest friend besides Wally.
They had spent countless afternoons playing video games after school, talking,
having lunch together every single day. She had never, ever shown the slightest
sign. Dick would have noticed—he had always been looking for those signs.
 As they left the closet, Barbara winked at him but went straight to the other
side of the room. Dick couldn’t feel happy—only like the biggest asshole on Earth.
How had things gotten so out of control? He replayed the plan in his head: he
would invite Bette Kane, because she was friends with Artemis and would want
to come to his party, and then Artemis and Bette would definitely invite Zee, since
the three of them were always together at school. That was the whole point—he
wanted to kiss Zee again. So how did he end up kissing Barb instead?
How could he have been so dumb? He liked Zee—really liked her—and
he knew for sure she liked him back. They had kissed on three occasions. The
first was on New Year’s Eve, which had filled him with hope. The second was on
her birthday, January 2nd, barely more than twenty-four hours later, and he was
convinced something bigger was happening… until she suddenly felt distant for
a while. The last one was on February 27th—not that he had memorized the date
on purpose, of course. He just remembered it casually… keeping track that
precisely would seem creepy.
But she wasn’t his girlfriend—of course not—because she was too busy
trying not to fall apart completely after losing her family. Which only made him
feel even more like a dick, because he knew too well what she had been through.
Nobody was sitting around the bottle anymore; it had lost its charm, and
the birthday boy had already been taken. Artemis and Bette were still around, and
while he stood frozen in thought, Artemis shot him a piercing look, as if he had
just killed somebody.
Dick realized something strange was happening. Bette and Artemis
seemed to be really hitting it off with Barbara throughout the whole party. They
had played foosball—Barbara and Artemis won—and Barbara teased him like
she always did, saying she would always beat him. She seemed fine, chatting
with the girls like everything was normal. But whenever Dick brought up the three
of them, especially at school, Barbara would say he talked about Zee way too
much. Barbara knew he was Robin—though Bruce didn’t know she knew—and
he had told her about the team and about Zee, practically everything about Zee,
though not the whole truth. She never seemed to like hearing about Zee anyway.
Wait a minute… was that a sign? Dick felt dumber than he ever had in his
life. How could he be so naïve? Barb didn’t hate Zee or anything—maybe she
was just jealous because she realized Dick liked Zee, and she liked Dick. Gosh,
would this whole thing with girls ever get any easier?
While he was still thinking, before he even realized it, a strong arm pulled
him back into the closet and the door slammed shut.
“Listen, you piece of shit—it’s your birthday, but don’t think that will stop
me from hitting your ugly face.”
Dick knew he could easily break free from the arm pinning him to the wall,
but he realized that might only make things worse.
“Artemis, what the fuck!”
Artemis grinned like he had just said something so disgusting it almost
made her want to throw up.
“Don’t ‘what the fuck’ me. You kissed Barbara. What were you thinking?”
Dick tried to push her arm down a little—she was pressing it against his
neck, and his breathing was getting hard.
“What do you mean?”
He already imagined what she meant, but it was worth the try anyway.
Artemis let go of him, though her piercing stare didn’t fade.
“I know about you and Zee, okay?”
Dick furrowed his brow, wondering what exactly there was to know. They
were friends—special friends who had kissed a few times—but that didn’t make
him a cheater, right?
“What did she tell you?” Dick asked, genuinely curious, because Zee had
begged him not to tell anyone about him hanging out in her room whenever he
spent the night at the Cave.
“She didn’t tell me anything, but I’m not dumb, okay? I know you two are
together.”
Dick chuckled. So, Artemis was just assuming.
“I wish you were right.” And he really did. He liked Zee—more than he
would ever admit. And now this whole thing with Barbara was making his head
spin. He still had feelings for her too. Everything was just so messed up.
“I know you go to her room when you sleep over at the Cave.”
Okay. Zee had asked him not to tell anyone. No matter how confused his
head was now, he had to stay loyal to her.
 “I don’t know what you’re talking about…” he said, putting on his best poker
face.
“Save it. Wally told me you get back to your room really late sometimes.”
Damn it, Wally. Dick still wasn’t used to the fact that Wally would do
anything for Artemis—really, anything. A secret of Wally’s was a secret of
Artemis’s too now. They were such a sappy couple. And since Artemis already
knew…
“Okay, we like each other’s company. But we just talk, I swear.”
Artemis looked down, like he had somehow said the wrong thing again.
“Dick, she likes you. She really does.”
Something lit up inside him at those words. He knew Zee liked him—even
if she had never said it directly—but hearing it from her best friend had an entirely
different flavor. It meant it wasn’t just his imagination anymore. It was real. Truly
real.
“Did she tell you that?” he asked, sounding more excited than he meant
to.
Artemis frowned. “What? No, of course not! You know her—she doesn’t
talk about feelings and stuff.”
Dick’s heart sank a little. Part of him wanted Zee to talk about him to her
best friend, even though they had both agreed to keep it a secret.
Artemis kept going.
“I just know she likes you. She talks about you all the time. It’s annoying.”
That seemed good too—if only he hadn’t just kissed another girl. Gosh,
school tomorrow was going to be awkward.
“But that’s not even my point,” Artemis still had rage in her voice. “You’re
telling her.”
Dick gasped. He hadn’t thought about that possibility yet. It did seem like
the right thing to do, but he needed time to figure out how to put it into words.
“You have three days. You do it, or I’m doing it.”
“Three days? I don’t even know if we’ll see each other in three days.”
Artemis grinned. “You see each other every day at school.”
She couldn’t be serious. She knew the rules.
“You know Bruce asked us not to talk at school so we don’t expose the
team…”
 That was true. And he hoped nobody noticed he was locked in a closet
with Artemis because, theoretically, they barely even knew each other.
“I don’t give a fuck what Batman says,” Artemis said so loudly Dick
imagined people in China already knew Bruce was Batman. And yet she kept
going: “I care about my friend and her feelings, and you’re not fooling her. She’s
been through more than enough.”
The last part hit Dick in a way he couldn’t put into words. It was true. It
wasn’t fair to Zee. But it was just so complicated. From the moment he first saw
her—that lilac blouse, that wide, charming smile—it was like she had cast a spell
on him. He felt drawn to her, so strongly he made a fool of himself. And from that
moment on, he thought his feelings for Barbara had vanished. But they hadn’t.
Tonight proved it. Because when Barbara kissed him, he felt something.
Something deeper, rising up again—that same certainty he used to have that they
were meant to be together for life. And it made him feel guilty. Because both of
them had been so kind to him, and he wasn’t being honest with either.
“All right. I’ll tell her.”
Artemis seemed satisfied with his answer. With a quick motion, she left the
closet, closing the door behind her and leaving Dick alone with his thoughts.
Dick leaned his head against the wall, letting out a long breath and melting
his body down the wall until he was sat on the ground. How could he possibly
explain to Zee what even he didn’t fully understand? Every path he imagined
seemed to hurt someone, and the thought of seeing disappointment in her eyes
made his chest tighten. Maybe he needed to figure out his own heart first, but
Artemis was right—he couldn’t keep stalling forever.
Besides, he wanted to be with Zee—truly. It was all he had thought about
these past few months. She was incredible, smart, brave, creative, and the
coolest girl alive, and he knew he could never compare to her; he had no idea
what she even saw in him. But then there was Barbara. He couldn’t pretend he
didn’t want a chance with her too, because for so long she had been all he thought
about—so intelligent, so kind, so good-hearted.
Dick pushed the closet door open and stepped back into the party. Music
was still blasting, people were laughing, trying to squeeze every bit of fun out of
the night—but for him, the mood had already shifted. The lights seemed too
bright, the voices too loud, and he couldn’t shake the weight of Artemis’s words
echoing in his head. He tried to blend in, to fake a smile here and there, but it all
felt empty.
Slowly, the crowd began to thin out, people leaving one by one, until the
manor grew quiet. By the time the last goodbyes were said, he almost felt
relieved. At least now he didn’t have to pretend anymore.
That night, Dick couldn’t sleep, even though he had received two texts
wishing him good night: one from Zee, saying, “Happy last hour of your birthday,
Boy Wonder” and one from Barb, saying she was glad they had had a special
night. Worst birthday ever.
It was already one in the morning, and he couldn’t believe he was doing
this, but he needed to talk to someone. Wally wasn’t exactly the best person when
it came to girls, but he was still his best friend.
Wally answered the phone in a sleepy voice.
“Dude, this better be an emergency. I was having this dream…”
Gross. Dick had to interrupt before Wally explained what he was dreaming
about.
“It’s an emergency. Remember I told you about my birthday party?”
Wally sighed, still half-asleep. “Are you trying to tell me you kissed Barbara
Gordon, Artemis threatened to kick your ass because Zatanna likes you, and now
you have to tell her in three days?”
Damn it, Artemis. Didn’t they ever hear of personal space as a couple, or
how important it was not to share other people’s private matters?
“Yeah, kind of… and, dude, your girl hit me. I was choking…”
Wally chuckled. “That sounds like my spitfire…” Gross again! But not the
point.
“Wally, I’m serious. I need help.”
“Do you need help telling Zee, or do you need help because you just realized you
like both of them, and that messes with talking to Zee?”
Dick felt his face flush for a reason he couldn’t explain.
“Both, I guess…”
Wally paused. “I don’t know… just follow your heart, dude.”
Dick blinked. “Just follow my heart? What does that even mean?”
“Whatever your heart wants. If it wants to be with Zee, be with Zee. If it
wants to be with Barbara, just be with Barbara.”
 Dick rubbed his temple. “That doesn’t sound helpful. Like, at all…” He
sounded more impatient than he meant to.
“I don’t know, that was my thing with Artemis. I just followed my heart until
everything settled back into place…”
That was clearly not the same situation, and surely not how Dick
remembered, he was getting annoyed.
“All right, Wally. Thanks for your advice. Good night.”
He hung up before hearing Wally’s response. Dick wasn’t sleepy at all, but
he felt thirsty. What did he have to lose?

Dick wandered into the kitchen, the quiet of the manor suddenly comforting
after the chaos of the party. The light was still on, and as expected, Alfred was
there, calmly sipping a cup of tea.
“Hello, Master Dick. I thought you’d be asleep by now,” Alfred said, his
voice gentle, yet somehow carrying that knowing undertone.
“I couldn’t,” Dick admitted, sliding into a chair across from him. Somehow,
Alfred always seemed to know what was going on, even without asking.
“Chamomile,” Alfred offered, placing a steaming cup in front of him,
“always helps in times of… emotional turbulence.”
Dick chuckled, appreciating Alfred’s tact. He took a slow sip, letting the
warmth soothe him, though nothing could ease the storm in his mind.
“What’s troubling you?” Alfred asked.
Dick hesitated, then let it all out. He told Alfred about Barbara, about Zee,
about the kisses, his confusion, the party, Artemis, and even Wally’s cryptic
advice. Everything spilled out, faster than he realized, leaving him feeling lighter
and yet more tangled in emotion than before.
Alfred listened silently, his expression calm, but his eyes sharp. When Dick
finally paused, Alfred spoke, deliberate and measured.
“See, Wally is not entirely wrong,” he said. “Though I understand your
frustration. You wish for guidance, a step-by-step manual. But life—and matters
of the heart—rarely provide one.”
Dick groaned. “I just… I don’t know what to do.”
“You also need to be honest with both girls,” Alfred continued. “You did not
act deceitfully in a malicious sense, but you did allow feelings to grow unchecked.
You gave hope without clarity. That was not fair to them. You must make amends.
Be truthful. That is the only path forward.”
Dick’s stomach twisted at the thought. “Okay… but how? How do I even
start?”
Alfred’s expression softened slightly, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
“That, Master Dick, is where you must follow your heart.”
Dick rubbed his face. “Not helpful.”
Alfred chuckled quietly. “Ah, but it is. Your heart knows more than your
mind admits. You feel affection for both, yes? But feelings are not a contest.
Consider not only what you want, but what will honor their trust and your own
integrity. It is never simple, but that is life.”
Dick stared into his cup, watching the steam curl upward. Alfred’s words
echoed in his mind. Not simple, yes. Confusing, yes. But… a way forward.
He exhaled, a decision beginning to form. “Alright. First, Zee. I owe her
honesty. She deserves that, no matter what I feel. Then… Barbara. I need to be
fair to her too.”
“Wise,” Alfred said softly. “You are young, Master Dick, but not without
sense. Now, rest. The mind works best when it is nourished and the heart is at
ease.”
Dick nodded, finishing his tea, feeling the tiniest bit of clarity amid the mess
of his emotions. Alfred was always doing things like this, Dick loved him, like the
love he had for his dad. Tomorrow would be difficult, yes—but at least now he
had a plan. A beginning. And perhaps, with honesty, things could finally… settle
if he figured out how to follow his damn heart.
 3
riaP pu

Zatanna was having trouble keeping her mind focused today. Mr. Harrow,
the teacher, was about to explain more about the graded presentation, but he
hadn’t started yet. She was paired with Artemis anyway—no big deal. They were
supposed to present a classical book written by a woman in a contemporary way.
Artemis was the best when it came to literature; she would probably want to do it
all by herself. Still, the teacher was assigning the titles, and Zatanna hoped they
would get Jane Eyre. It was her favorite among the options. But classical literature
class was the last thing on her mind.
All she could think about was last night. Kaldur had been furious. However,
what was he expecting pairing her up with Robin? Sure, it made sense for the
mission, but let’s just say they weren’t exactly getting along since… Kaldur kept
saying he didn’t care about their personal drama, but they needed to start working
as a team again. And it was all her fault, because she hadn’t managed to stay
professional—if that’s what you could even call it. The whole team could’ve died.
They’d managed to escape, not victorious, but at least alive—thanks to Robin,
who saved the day by himself, didn’t it suck?
Zatanna glanced to her right, where Dick sat, completely focused, taking
notes. He was so perfect, wasn’t he? Always paying attention, writing things
down, asking smart questions—the teachers loved him. His perfection was
nothing but annoying. But in a way— this massive failure from last night—wasn’t
it his fault too? It all happened because of his bad choices in first place. Damn.
She didn’t want to think about him.
Too late. Her mind was already wandering back to exactly five weeks ago.
She had been sitting in the same place, and so had Dick, during the only class
they shared. Normally, they weren’t allowed to talk at school—Batman’s rules.
But that morning, Dick had slipped her a small piece of paper under the desk.
Zatanna had gotten so excited, unwrapping it quickly, her heart skipping a beat.
We need to talk. Meet me at the bleachers by the football field after lunch.
You look so pretty, btw.
Zatanna had smiled at the message, her cheeks heating up. She looked
at him and nodded. She wasn’t nervous—quite the opposite. She was looking
forward to it. She wanted to know what he wanted to say, and her talk with Black
Canary the day before had given her more confidence. Maybe she even had
something important to confess too, because he was so important to her.
When class ended, Zatanna didn’t look at Dick. She didn’t want anyone to
notice. Even though they were breaking the rules after lunch, she had to keep it
cool. She ate with Bette and Artemis as usual and spotted Dick with Barbara
Gordon, as always. Barbara was in her senior year, but the two of them seemed
like best friends, always together. Dick never talked much about her, which only
made Zatanna more curious.
As Dick stood up with his tray, Zatanna waited six more minutes before
getting up. She told the girls she had to go to the library—so much homework.
Artemis didn’t look convinced, since they had almost all the same classes, but
Zatanna left anyway.
Some middle school cheerleaders were practicing on one side of the
field—they should have a different schedule. Dick sat on the opposite side,
headphones on, scribbling something down. It took Zatanna a while to reach him,
but eventually she did. The sun must’ve been high by now, but Gotham’s usual
gray sky hung heavy above them, always such a pleasant whether in this cursed
city.
 “Hey!” she greeted, suddenly nervous. Dick glanced at her, pulling off his
headphones. She caught a few seconds of Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode.
She loved that song.
“Hey! Sorry, I was so absorbed in it…” he said, apologetically. Zatanna
peeked at his notebook—his notes looked messy, full of angles and numbers. He
noticed her curiosity as he turned the music off.
“When they have competitions, they train at lunchtime. I like studying
them,” he said, nodding toward the cheerleaders.
Zatanna raised an eyebrow. “That would’ve sounded so creepy if I didn’t
know you…”
Dick flushed slightly. “I study their moves. I steal them all the time—it’s
useful.”
“Got it. That sounds better.”
Zatanna watched the girls throwing one of them into the air over and over.
“That one’s the best,” Dick said, pointing to the girl being tossed. “Heard
she’s Russian. I’d kill to have her genetics—she just seems so naturally flexible.”
Zatanna hadn’t imagined that could be one of his worries.
“You’re as good as any of them,” she said, trying to sound kind.
“Bullshit.” He made a face. “My skills are only combative now, can’t reach
that level of aster.”
That phrase pulled at something inside Zatanna, making her think about
the stage, about performing with her father.
“I miss the stage,” she admitted.
Dick smiled faintly. “I was in the circus ring for a mission last year,
remember? It felt breathtaking, like coming home. I was thinking of giving Haly a
call this summer. I miss it more than I’d like to admit. And I’m sure he’d make
good use of a magician if you want to…you know...”
That sounded wonderful, but his smile was nervous—probably because of
what he really wanted to say. Was he ever going to get to it?
“That’s very sweet of you,” she said, leaning a little closer without noticing.
“All I can do for such a dear friend of mine.”
The words hit her like electricity. A shiver ran down her spine, that urge
rising again. Her first instinct was to push it away, but after talking so much with
Canary, maybe she could risk it. And besides, no one was around—except the
middle schoolers, who weren’t paying them any attention.
Her backpack slipped off her shoulder as she leaned in, closer and closer,
until their faces almost touched. Just as she was about to brush her lips against
his, he pulled back.
“I’m sorry, Zee… I can’t. Not before we talk. Not before I tell you what I
came here to say.”
What he told her next felt like a punch in the stomach. Sadness, anger,
humiliation—she wanted to cry, to scream, to hit him.
She remembered every single word:
“Zee… I have to be honest with you. Something happened at my party yesterday,
and you deserve to know,” his voice almost breaking. “Barbara kissed me. And
for a second, I didn’t know what to do, because she’s been important to me for
so long. But the truth is… the only person I’ve been thinking about for months is
you. I like you, Zee. More than I can explain. When I’m with you, everything feels
lighter, better. I don’t want to lie to you or hide anything, because you mean too
much to me. I want to be with you. For real. Just you.”
So he liked her—really liked her. And yet he had kissed Barbara Gordon
the day before. How could both things be true? How could someone claim to care
so much and still do something like that?
Zatanna’s chest ached with the contradiction. For a second, she almost
blamed herself—maybe she hadn’t made her feelings clear enough. But no. Deep
down, she knew it wasn’t her fault. If he really felt what he said, he should’ve
known better.
“I’m sorry,” he kept repeating.
How dare he? Did he really think she could just accept that? The more he
spoke, the emptier it sounded. What was left to say?
Finally, he looked at her, almost desperately. “Would you say anything?”
She forced a smile, the only armor she had.
“Yeah,” she said flatly. “I’m good.”
Dick blinked, unsettled. “Are you? For real?”
“Sure. Just don’t talk to me again.” Her voice was steady, almost cold.
“What?” he gasped, eyes wide.
“Don’t ever talk to me again.”
 Zatanna stood, turned, and walked away. Soon after, she found Artemis,
who instantly knew something was wrong. But Zatanna didn’t want to talk about
it. Not there. Not ever.
And now here she was, replaying the scene in her head for the millionth
time. Why had Aqualad paired them yesterday? No matter how much she tried to
keep her personal life separate from the team, she was still just one person,
carrying everything into every part of her life.
“But I know what you’re dying to know is which book you’re getting.”
Mr. Harrow’s voice snapped her back to reality. Yes, that was what she
wanted to know. This assignment was exactly why she’d signed up for the class
in the first place. And it was so refreshing that Mr. Harrow wasn’t one of those
sexist teachers who only considered male authors “classics.”
“I know I told you last week you could pick your own pairs, but I’ve been
thinking. Since this assignment is about women’s writing, I thought it’d be
interesting if every pair had at least one girl. That’s why I split the groups myself.”
Oh, crap. That meant another partner. Which also meant working at school
or at someone else’s house—something she hated. Too personal. And a plus,
she was literally living in a cave, not like she could invite someone to her place.
She was okay with classmates, but still felt like the new girl in some ways. Well,
there were more girls than boys; maybe she’d still get Artemis. And there was
also the terrifying possibility she’d get paired with Dick—but surely not, right?
“I assigned you alphabetically, trying to put at least one girl in each pair.”
All right. She was last on the li1st. That meant no Artemis—but also not
Dick. Relief, for a second.
Mr. Harrow began calling names.
“Artemis Crock, Analia Galavan, The House of the Spirits by Isabel
Allende.”
He went on. Zatanna was adjusting to the idea of not working with Artemis.
At least no one had gotten Jane Eyre yet. A flicker of hope—until her name was
called.
“Richard Grayson, Zatanna Zatara, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.”
No way! His real name was Richard. Damn, how could she forget that
detail? Fine. She could just do everything alone and stick his name on it. Maybe
Mr. Harrow liked her enough to let her switch if she asked nicely… worth a try.
 When she glanced to her right, Dick was looking at her, smiling without
showing his teeth, like someone trying to look calm. Why did he always sit next
to her? And what was he thinking about? His senior year girlfriend, maybe. She
secretly hoped Barbara would get jealous about them reading this book together.
No! That wasn’t the point. She needed to get another partner.
She stayed silent. Dick stayed silent. And when the bell rang, Zatanna
rushed to Mr. Harrow—but he shut her down. He said it wouldn’t be fair to change
partners now, since no one had the chance to choose. For a second, Zatanna
considered spilling everything—every reason she couldn’t do this with Dick
Grayson. But as soon as the teacher started rambling about how brilliant Dick
was, and how sure the teacher was they could do a great work together, she
knew it was pointless.
Defeated, she went to the cafeteria and sat to her usual table with Artemis
and Bette. Of course, Dick and Barbara were having lunch together a few tables
ahead. Rage burned in her chest—no, more than rage. Pity. Poor Barbara. Did
she know? Had Dick been honest, or had he just left out the fact that the only
reason he wanted to be with her was because Zatanna dumped him first?
Had she dumped him? They weren’t even a couple. Not officially. But it
didn’t matter. The though that she was the one rejecting him always made her
feel better.
And now, Zatanna was stuck with this damn assignment, so she decided
she was going to enjoy it—at least the part about one of her favorite books. She’d
just do it alone and sign his name, and talk to him just to communicate it. Anything
to spend as little time with this asshole as possible. But that was a problem for
another day. Enough thinking about it.
The afternoon unfolded as usual. Artemis was heading back to the cave
with her, since Wednesdays were for Black Canary’s training. Zatanna had been
training with Artemis ever since her old partner used to be Dick. Speaking of
him—when the two girls arrived at Mount Justice, he was already there, talking
to Wally, both of them suited up. Raquel, Conner, M’gann, and Kaldur looked
ready too.
Roy wasn’t there. He’d been acting strange since New Year’s Eve—and
how could it be different? Finding out you were actually a clone shouldn’t be easy.
Batman kept saying it was League business now, but sometimes Roy still showed
up to train. Not today.
Everyone was ready, so Zatanna cast her spell—“tius em dna simetra
pu”—and in a blink, she and Artemis were suited up. Black Canary was already
waiting and began as soon as they approached.
“Well, today we’re switching your partners to get used to different types of
combat. I’ll be assigning them.”
No. Not again. Damn it, Aqualad yesterday, Mr. Harrow this morning… it
just couldn’t happen again. Zatanna prayed—prayed to whoever was writing her
life—not again.
“So, Robin, your partner today is…”
She kept repeating in her head: Please don’t say my name, please don’t
say my name, please don’t—
“Superboy.”
A wave of relief crashed through her chest. God should exist and he was
listening.
“Aqualad, Kid Flash. Miss Martian, Artemis. And finally… Zatanna, you’re
with Rocket today.”
Perfect. Zatanna liked Raquel—a lot. She still felt guilty about freaking out
in jealousy a few weeks ago, but Raquel had been nothing but genuine with her.
They’d bonded quickly during missions. Raquel’s sharp, playful energy balanced
out Zatanna’s tendency to overthink. She was the kind of person who could turn
a disastrous sparring session into a joke and still push you to do better next time.
Training went fine, but Zatanna noticed Dick rehearsing how to approach
her afterward—and she was right. He wore the same awkward smile from that
morning, like he was carrying some secret embarrassment. She was still chatting
with Rocket, laughing hard and enjoying herself, when a gloved hand brushed
her shoulder with almost exaggerated politeness.
“Zee… Zatanna, could we talk for a second?”
 4
enaJ eryE

“Sure.” Zee didn’t look happy at all. Rocket seemed to sense the drama
and quietly stepped back. Dick wasn’t sure what to say, or how to say it—or even
what to think. She had been perfectly clear about not wanting him to talk to her.
But the thing was, he had talked to Mr. Harrow that afternoon. He had asked to
switch partners, but without success.
It was so frustrating. He still carried so many feelings for Zatanna, and he
wanted to move on, but the fact that she was always around—and that people
kept pairing them together—only made things harder. He didn’t want to do this
assignment with her. It would take a lot of time, retelling a five-hundred-page book
in a presentation, and he couldn’t imagine doing it with her, not with his shattered
heart screaming in pain every time she was near.
He thought about telling Mr. Harrow the whole truth, but as soon as the
teacher started praising Zatanna, saying what a brilliant student she was and how
she deserved a chance, it all felt pointless.
“I tried to find you at school earlier, and then I sent a message…” But you
blocked me, Dick thought, with a small pang of anger. “And I think we should talk
about our classical literature assignment.”
Zee opened a beautiful smile, though there was something embarrassed
about it—she avoided looking him in the eyes.
 “Don’t worry about it. I’ll do it myself, and then I’ll just put your name.”
What? No. That wasn’t fair. That wasn’t honest. And Dick actually wanted
to do it. He wanted to read the book. He cared about the grade, sure, but it wasn’t
only that. He had signed up for this subject because he was genuinely interested.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t take it that way…” He tried to keep his voice steady,
though he wasn’t sure he had succeeded.
Zee’s smile vanished, her face hardening. She was angry now—really
angry.
“All right. So, what’s your suggestion?”
Dick drew in a deep breath. He could do this. He had rehearsed it in his
head a thousand times.
“We do it the normal way. We read the book, and then we do the
assignment together. Impersonally. Just like two normal people working together.
I’m pretty sure we’re mature enough for that.”
The truth was, he wasn’t sure of anything. The whole process sounded
painful already. But what else could he say?
Zatanna crossed her arms, her lips tightening as if she wanted to argue
back right away. But then she let out a small sigh, lowering her shoulders. “Fine…
maybe you’re right. It’s just—easier that way, you know?” She looked down for a
moment, tracing an invisible line on the desk with her finger. “But if you want to
actually read the book, then… I’ll do it with you.”
Dick felt victorious—though he wasn’t sure why—because it meant
spending even more time with her, something he had been trying to avoid so
hard.
“How much time do you need to read it?” she asked, finally looking at his
face.
“I guess I can finish by the weekend, so we can start on Monday. And…
that’s another thing. Batman…” no, it seemed too strange to put in this way
“…my father is very strict about routine and schedules…” God, he felt so silly
saying it loud, but it was true. Bruce didn’t like him spending more time at school
than necessary, and if he needed to go out for any reason, Bruce had to know
where he was and why he was leaving. “So, I have to do it at home…”
Zee didn’t seem happy about it, but she agreed anyway. She was already
turning to walk away when Dick remembered he wanted to say one more thing.
 “Zee…” he called, catching her attention. “I’m sorry about yesterday. It was
all my fault.”
Kaldur had blamed Zatanna, but that wasn’t fair—not when he had been
the one who put them in this whole situation in the first place.
Zee didn’t say anything right away—her eyes lingered on him just for a
second, unreadable, before she gave a short nod. “Okay,” she murmured, her
voice almost lost in the noise of the hallway. And then she turned, walking back
toward Rocket and the girls, her long hair swaying behind her like a curtain
closing the scene.
“Man, just give up,” Wally’s hand landed lightly on his shoulder, catching
Dick off guard.
“What are you talking about?” Dick asked, frowning, still trying to focus
despite the storm inside his chest.
Wally was in civvies now, his casual posture a sharp contrast to the tension
Dick carried. He sighed deeply before answering. “Dick, get over her. It’s sad, I
know… but you lost her.”
Dick clenched his jaw. He was trying—he really was—but it was far harder
than he expected. It wasn’t just about liking her. It was about the way she made
him feel alive, aware, and nervous all at once. “We just have some homework to
do together. It’s not like you think,” he muttered, though even he wasn’t entirely
convinced.
Doubt flickered across Wally’s face. “Dude, you need a distraction. Me and
my lady are getting some ice cream. Wanna come?”
Dick’s stomach twisted. The day had already been exhausting, emotionally
draining, and now he was being invited to a casual hangout… as the third wheel?
“Ugh, no, thanks,” he said, forcing a tone that sounded calmer than he felt.
Wally’s hand remained on his shoulder, the touch meant to comfort but
only highlighting his restless energy. “Man, you need to get your head off her.”
“And hanging out with her best friend didn’t seem like the best option
either,” Dick muttered, shifting slightly, feeling the weight of every word he had
left unsaid.
“What about your own best friend?” Wally asked, raising an eyebrow, trying
to read him.
 “I just… have a lot of things to do. I have to read a five-hundred-page book
by Sunday. I really gotta go,” Dick replied, his tone tight, controlled—but not
without a hint of frustration with himself for being so tangled up in all of this.
“Okay, but don’t vanish. You’ve been disappearing too much lately,” Wally
said, his voice softer now, a small note of concern threading through his teasing.
“I swear I won’t,” Dick muttered, already moving, though part of him longed
to sit down somewhere quiet and untangle the mess in his mind.
When Dick got home, it was almost dinner time. The Waynes were used
to eating early so they could reserve the night for their own business. Bruce used
to insist they would have dinner like a normal family, all seated at the table: three
generations of Waynes, with only one blood Wayne.
Dick quickly took a shower and dressed, bracing himself for the emotional
workload awaiting him later: hundreds of pages of Charlotte Brontë’s greatest
classic. He knew Bruce had a copy in the library—they practically had everything
there—and Alfred would be more than happy to help him find it, since Dick was
finally taking some pleasure in English literature. He wasn’t exactly a bookworm;
he liked reading, sure, but usually he’d rather spend his time training or doing
anything with more energy.
Bruce arrived home from whatever task he’d been pretending to work on
that day, and the three Waynes settled at the table. Dick anticipated the usual
question from Bruce—it came every day. When Bruce was absent, Alfred would
step in.
“How was school today?”
“Normal… I have an assignment for classical literature,” Dick replied.
Alfred’s curiosity piqued. “Really, Master Dick? What is it about?”
“Jane Eyre. I assumed we have a copy here.”
“We sure do. I had to read it myself back in High School,” Bruce said, his
voice calm and steady, the hallmark of Bruce Wayne in full-mode.
“So, it’s a pair assignment. I got Zatanna—she’s coming over on Monday
for us to work on it.”
Then Bruce switched to full Batman mode. “I thought I made it clear it
would be better for you not to interact with Zatanna and Artemis at school.”
“It wasn’t my fault. The teacher paired us up. I didn’t want to do it with her,”
Dick replied defensively.
 Bruce looked puzzled. “Why? I thought you liked her… really liked her.”
Alfred lowered his gaze, rubbing his temple as if Bruce had just said the
most absurd thing possible.
“Master Bruce, just don’t bother the kid with the topic, please.”
Dick felt his cheeks heating up. He hadn’t told Bruce everything about
Zee—not that he didn’t trust him, it was just… their conversations usually stayed
on missions, tech, or training. Bruce wasn’t exactly accustomed to teenage
matters like crushes or awkward social drama. He remembered when he got into
puberty, Bruce had tried to give advice—it hadn’t gone well. Alfred had stepped
in and done a much better job.
“Why? Did you two… break up or something?” Bruce asked, his tone
sharp, eyebrows furrowed.
Dick tensed up, feeling queasy. Could this day get any worse? Alfred
looked genuinely frustrated, leaning slightly forward as if he could hit Bruce at
any moment.
“Bruce… we weren’t a couple.” Dick admitted, forcing himself to keep his
voice steady. “But, yeah, she asked me not to talk to her again a few weeks ago.”
Bruce froze mid-motion, the calm of dinner slipping as his expression
shifted subtly toward that familiar Batman intensity again. His jaw tightened, his
gaze darkened—exactly the way Dick remembered it from years of late-night
training sessions, but now in the calm, quiet setting of the Wayne dining room.
“Wait a minute… Is that why you had so much trouble with Clayface
yesterday? Kaldur said it was both your and her fault…” Bruce’s voice was low
but laced with that unmistakable edge of controlled authority.
Dick swallowed hard. He could feel the tension in the room, even as the
faint clatter of silverware echoed from the rest of the family’s silent dinner. Alfred
shifted slightly, clearing his throat, keeping his eyes on Dick, like a coach waiting
for his player to make the right move. Bruce leaned back slightly, pinching the
bridge of his nose, the weight of the situation pressing down.
Dick wanted to disappear under the table. His father’s expectations,
Alfred’s judgment, the looming assignments, the chaotic aftermath of yesterday—
all of it swirled together. He had to navigate this carefully, or the night would
become a lecture he couldn’t escape.
“No Batman and Robin business on the dinner table”.
 Alfred said it firmly, like his words were final. Bruce seemed slightly
disappointed, but said nothing, letting the statement hang in the air. Dinner
unfolded in an awkward silence for a few minutes, broken only by the occasional
clink of silverware or the faint hum of the dining room chandelier.
Eventually, they drifted back to mundane topics—household repairs,
Wayne Enterprises updates, Alfred quietly reminding Bruce about the schedules
for the week. Dick picked at his food, mostly lost in thought. He wasn’t going on
patrol tonight; it was one of Bruce’s strict rules. No patrol until all homework was
finished. Exceptions were only made for pressing matters with the team.
Since all his team obligations were complete for the day, Dick was allowed
to retreat to his bedroom—alone, with the book that had caused so much
emotional chaos. Jane Eyre sat on his desk, waiting.
“You better be the greatest book I’ll ever read,” he muttered to himself,
flipping the first page with a mixture of anticipation and dread. His mind wandered
briefly to Zatanna, to the awkward tension of the classroom, to the idea of working
on this assignment with her. Focus, Dick, he thought. Just read. Just get through
it.
The time flew by, and when Jane’s only friend—the only person who had
truly loved her—died, Dick felt a tear run down his face. Poor Jane had been
through so much at such a young age: the death of her parents, her aunt’s
constant rejection, all the cruelty she endured at school, and now the only person
who seemed to genuinely care for her was gone. The moment was powerful, and
the writing even more so; perhaps this really was the greatest book he had ever
read. The critics who compiled those “one hundred best books of all time” clearly
knew what they were talking about.
It seemed like enough for one day. A shitty day—not as shitty as Jane’s, of
course, and surely not the shittiest in Dick’s life—but still rough. He brushed his
teeth and turned off his bedside lamp. Then he checked his alarm as usual, even
though he knew it was on; he couldn’t sleep if he didn’t.
A message blinked on the screen. Zatanna. Twenty minutes ago. His heart
skipped.
“Have you started reading the book yet?”
She had unblocked him. That was huge, but he had to stay calm.
Nonchalant was the word.
 “Yup.”
The three dots appeared almost instantly, signing she was typing him back.
“Me too, I had already read once, but I’m doing it again. I’m on page 100,
what about you?”
Why did English have so many words? He muttered to himself; it was so
difficult to pick the right ones… but he had to keep it together. It was just a damn
text.
He typed: “Around 75. Helen just died ”
The reply came quickly:
“Wow, you’re doing great. I thought maybe we could start tomorrow, since
we’re almost at the same part, and the earlier we start, the earlier we finish…”
Dick froze. He took Ballet classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He hated
it, but Bruce insisted. Something about developing discipline, strength, flexibility,
and the blah-blah-blah. Plus, they were rehearsing Don Quixote. He was playing
Espada, but also rehearsing Basilio—the main character— just in case the other
boy got hurt. Why did Bruce keep putting him through this sort of madness?
His hands shook a little as he started typing:
“I’m busy tomorrow. Can keep on Monday?”
The three dots appeared again, stayed for a while… and then vanished.
She didn’t answer. His chest tightened. He stared at the screen, imagining every
possible scenario. Maybe she was busy, maybe she was annoyed, maybe…
maybe she was just ignoring him again.
Dick leaned back in bed, rubbing his eyes. The day had been enough,
truly, he was tired, and the sound of the rain on his window would have been the
perfect lullaby. But now, with Zatanna hovering in his mind, he couldn’t stop
thinking about that little blinking cursor.
 5
eripmaV

Zatanna read the book; it was different from what she remembered. And
after a lot of overthinking, it was Monday, finally. She went to school in the
morning, and everything unfolded as usual, until she got to the Wayne manor.
Zatanna hadn’t expected Dick to live in a place like this—so vast, so
impossibly old, the kind of house that felt more like a legend than a home. The
manor was glorious and gothic in a way that almost made the old rumor
believable: Batman was a vampire. And if people ever saw the place he lived, she
thought, they’d be convinced of it. The stone walls outside, the black walls inside,
the high windows that swallowed up the light—all of it gave the house a haunted
air. She imagined it must feel even more eerie on cloudy days, though the sky
was bright today, not very Gotham like. Still, it was a vampire’s lair, only a very
spacious one.
The manor was split into two halves: a social wing for parties and galas,
and a private side, which she entered through the garage. The butler— Alfred
was his name—had picked them up after school. A real butler, because butlers
were real apparently. Dick, on the opposite, seemed completely accustomed to
the routine—and to the house itself. Zatanna doubted she ever could be.
Everything was so immense, so sprawling, that she walked carefully, every step
deliberated, as if one wrong move might shatter something priceless.
 Even so, she hadn’t imagined Dick’s room would look like this. It was neat
and cluttered at once, as though every corner had been quietly claimed by him in
some rebellion of order and chaos. Stacks of books and papers crowded his desk,
three monitors glowed with quiet insistence, and contradictions filled the air.
Heavy wood paneling and solemn shadows were broken by bursts of color:
posters of Robin Hood, Spider-Man—Tobey’s bold red— and some emo bands
pinned defiantly against the gloom. A Bat-shaped lamp perched on his nightstand
like a private joke, casting its glow over dark linens that made that enormous bed
seems softer, warmer, than the rest of the house allowed.
Her gaze drifted upward, following the slope of the ceiling, where sharp
angles caught the afternoon sun. The tall arched window spilled light into the
room, opening it wide. A telescope stood there like a silent companion, its lens
tilted toward the gardens, the endless stretch of bushes, and, in the far distance,
the blurred line of Gotham.
And then there was Dick, sitting at the window seat with his notebook. In
daylight, he seemed almost like another person—edges sharpened, a little older,
as if he’d grown in the space of a heartbeat. His face looked different—or maybe
Zatanna just hadn’t really paid attention to him lately. Sunlight made gold from his
dark hair and carved his focus into something steadier, more certain. She found
herself watching him, half in awe, half in disbelief that the boy she thought she
knew could feel so much larger here, in his own space, in his own light.
He was sitting with one leg tucked beneath him, his back arched as he
leaned over the page, completely absorbed in writing. His skin looked soft, his
expression steady. He still wore the school uniform, though carelessly: tie
loosened, sleeves uneven, collar slightly crooked. A boy, really, for all the sharp
focus he carried.
And yet… not just a boy. The line of his jaw caught the sunlight in a way
that made her chest tighten. Each time he swallowed, the subtle shift of his
Adam’s apple drew her eyes before she could stop herself. The curve of his neck,
the way the light carved his features—her mind had no right to notice, and yet it
did. Every small movement made her flinch, as if she’d been caught staring. Not
that she was staring. Definitely not.
He paused to think, glancing upward, and with each pause the seconds
seemed to stretch, the room itself slowing down with him. Older than she
remembered, for sure. And maybe… more than she was allowed to think. Heat
crept into her cheeks. She could not, would not, even let herself name the feeling.
He had a girlfriend and he was a jerk. There was no reason—absolutely no
reason—to feel those old butterflies in her stomach again, no matter how
stubbornly they lingered.
“So, what do you think?” Dick got up in one swift movement, closing the
distance to Zatanna, who was sitting on an ottoman near the window. He caught
her so off guard that she could barely remember her own name.
“What?” She realized only then that Dick was handing her the notebook
he’d been writing in just moments ago.
“See if you like the idea.” Right—the idea for their classical literature
assignment, the very reason they were here in the first place.
Zatanna took the notebook and read what Dick had written. But as her
eyes moved over the words, none of it made sense. Not with him standing right
in front of her, waiting for an answer. Not after all the thoughts she’d had while
watching him write it down. She read it once, then again.
Dick said nothing. He was unusually quiet; he hadn’t said a word in the car
on their way to the manor, and once inside he stuck to trivial remarks. Then he
explained he’d rather write his ideas instead of saying them, because it gave him
more “space to organize.”
He hadn’t cracked a single joke. Not even the smallest smile.
But wasn’t it Zatanna who had told him never to talk to her again? And
she’d reminded him just a few days ago, on the day Aqualad had them as a pair
for Clayface’s mission.
Zatanna tried to get herself together, as she dropped her gaze to the floor
and wondered—would Dick always walk around the house in just his socks? The
thought had nothing to do with their mission, nothing to do with the notebook in
her hands. Damn. She had to say it.
“Dick, I don’t think I get it… would you mind explaining it?”
Dick’s expression shifted; he looked genuinely surprised. He started
pacing across the room as he spoke. Zatanna thought he might be avoiding her
eyes—but maybe that was just in her head.
“So, I don’t want to make it too fanfic-like, not like those CEO stories where
the girl is a secretary. And I also don’t like rewriting it in a way where Jane gets
humiliated by someone at school and then falls in love with them. That would feel
too much like Twilight, you know?”
Zatanna paused, realizing she didn’t…
“I’ve never watched Twilight...”
Dick, who had been staring out the window, instantly turned his gaze on
her—a piercing look, his face unreadable.
“What do you mean you’ve never watched Twilight?”
Wasn’t it simple?
“I don’t know, I just never watched it…”
Dick looked almost disappointed and also very surprised, like she’d just
said the sky was yellow.
“Why?”
Zatanna blinked. She had never really given it much thought.
“I don’t know, I just didn’t…”
“No, that’s not an acceptable answer. You must have a reason.”
All right, that was… weird. Why was this suddenly such a big deal? Yet
Dick was still staring at her, eyes sharp, as if demanding a proper explanation.
“I really don’t know… I guess I just don’t like vampires.”
Dick lowered his gaze. His tone shifted, almost sharp.
“What? That’s pretty offensive.”
What on earth was happening with this conversation?
“How so?”
“Twilight is one of those things that’s so bad, it’s actually good…”
Changing the topic?
“And how is that offensive?”
Dick’s face was deadly serious as he replied, “Because, you know, my
family and I are very vampire-coded.”
He couldn’t possibly be serious… could he?
“I’m sorry—” she said, lifting her hands as if surrendering, “—for offending
you and your vampire family.”
Dick tilted his head, pretending to be wounded. “Apology not accepted.
You can’t just dismiss centuries of gothic heritage like that.”
She had missed this tone of his, he sounded just like he did on the day
they met.
 Zatanna raised an eyebrow. “Centuries? You’re what, thirteen generations
removed from Dracula now?”
“Closer than you think,” he shot back, lips twitching like he was trying not
to grin. “Do you know how many gargoyles we have on the roof?”
She almost laughed, but the way he kept a straight face made it hard to
tell if he was joking.
“Wait—you’re serious?”
Dick leaned in just slightly, his voice dropping low, teasing. “Wouldn’t you
like to know?”
Her pulse betrayed her, skipping before she could roll her eyes and shove
back the heat crawling to her cheeks.
“Whatever,” she muttered. “Sparkly vampires are still lame.”
That finally cracked his composure. He pressed a hand to his chest,
stumbling back a step like she’d stabbed him. “Blasphemy. You’re officially
banned from my room until you repent.”
He was so silly—where had that come from? Still, it felt good, almost
freeing, to laugh at one of his jokes again.
“Seriously, don’t people cringe watching Twilight?” she asked, tilting her
head at him.
Dick smiled, shoulders relaxing as if the tension slipped right off him.
Suddenly the air grew lighter.
“Sure. That’s why it’s so good. We should watch it on one of movie nights…”
Movie nights. Usually Fridays, when the team would gather at the Cave to
watch something together. Dick hadn’t been to one in a while. He used to stay
over on those nights, but he wasn’t coming anymore. Not since… She forced
herself to think about something else.
“Right,” she said quickly, brushing an invisible crease off her skirt, “we
really don’t want our Jane to sound too much like Bella…”
“We sure don’t,” Dick agreed. He leaned against the desk, crossing his
arms. “But you know Bella’s favorite book was written by Charlotte Brontë’s
sister.”
Zatanna narrowed her eyes in thought. “Wuthering Heights, I guess.”
“Yup.” He nodded once, decisive.
“I like that one too.”
 Dick’s lips curved, sly. “You’re so much like Bella, then.”
No, she wasn’t, right? But… why did that feel so good?
“I’m sure I’m not,” she shot back, lifting her chin, “since vampires aren’t
really my thing.”
As long as he heard her words, his expression shifted. The spark vanished,
and he looked down, fiddling with the edge of his sleeve.
“Well…” she pushed the moment aside, trying to stitch the mood back
together. “What’s your idea, then?”
That pulled him from his act. He stood straighter, gaze sharpening again.
“Okay. The idea… I think we should focus on Jane’s autonomy, and how that
reflects the independence of young women in nowadays—how they still have to
fight to make themselves heard and treated as equals in society.”
Zatanna blinked, surprised. That was actually a really good idea. But it
needed some more thought.
“So you’re saying we don’t exactly write another story, but rather correlate the
dynamics of power between young women and consolidated men in our society?”
“Pretty much.” He gave a small shrug, like it was obvious.
“Wow.” She leaned back against the ottoman, studying him. “That’s deep.”
She meant it—she was impressed. The topic felt relevant in a way she hadn’t
expected.
“I also think we could relate it to the autobiographical hints in the book,” he
added, tapping the notebook in his hand.
That was new information. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I did some research…” Dick hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck.
Zatanna stiffened. They had agreed to do it together. If she had known he
was already digging into it on his own, she would’ve done her part alone too.
“But don’t get me wrong,” he added quickly, lifting his hands as if to defend
himself, “I didn’t write anything down. I was just… curious.”
That sounded a little better.
He started pacing, his words spilling out with that clipped, focused rhythm
he had when he was really thinking. “Her harsh schooling at Cowan Bridge
inspired Lowood. Her time working as a governess shaped Jane’s position. And
her unrequited love for a married teacher—well, that echoes Jane’s passion for
Rochester. The novel also reflects Charlotte’s longing for dignity, independence,
and equal love.”
Zatanna blinked, lips parting without a word. She hadn’t known any of that.
Honestly, she had never given much thought to Charlotte Brontë as a person—
only Jane Eyre as a character. But hearing it laid out like this, it made sense.
She rested her chin on her hand, trying to play it cool, though a small spark
of admiration slipped into her voice. “All right… so maybe we start our slides with
that. The reflections about the author.”
Dick smiled at her response. Not the grin from before, when he’d joked
about gargoyles and vampires, but a quieter one—thoughtful, subdued. “Sure.
Let’s do it.”
They pulled their chairs up to the three monitors on his desk. Zatanna
would never get used to the way Dick moved through things so fast—windows
opening, tabs multiplying, his fingers flying over the keyboard like he was playing
a private symphony. She did her best to keep up, but mostly found herself stealing
glances at him while he worked.
Hours blurred. Together, they dug deep into Charlotte Brontë’s life.
Zatanna wondered if maybe she had written Jane because fiction gave her what
real life had not.
Through it all, Dick’s tone stayed steady, almost professional. And Zatanna
caught herself missing something—missing the boy who had just been laughing
about his vampire-coded family, teasing her until her cheeks burned. For a
fleeting moment, she wanted that version of him back.
Her eyes softened as she watched him in profile, the glow of the monitors
reflecting off his features. She remembered how his eyes had smiled once, the
same way they had in those rare moments when her lips brushed against his,
that felt like another lifetime. And now, staring at the curve of his mouth as he
clicked and scrolled, she couldn’t stop wondering—would his lips still taste the
same?
“Hey, kids!”
The door was already open, of course, but the figure knocked anyway.
Bruce Wayne. Zatanna had never seen him like this, in civvies. Without the cowl,
he seemed both more human and more intimidating at once.
“Hey, Bruce,” Dick said, his tone too casual, almost practiced.
 “Zatanna. Good to see you.” Bruce’s voice carried a politeness that felt
slightly rehearsed, like he was reading from a script.
Zatanna nodded quickly, “Hi.” She wasn’t sure how one was supposed to
act in this kind of moment. The air had shifted, suddenly too heavy.
“So,” Bruce asked, stepping farther inside, “are you having dinner with us?”
Dinner? Her stomach tightened—what time was it?
“Sorry, Mr. Wayne, I lost the track of time… thank you, but I’ve got to go.”
Not that Red Tornado would care if she stayed, but the thought of dinner
with Dick and Batman—Bruce—was more awkward than she could handle.
“So, can we continue tomorrow?” she asked, turning slightly toward Dick,
who answered quickly: “Sure, I can go to the Cave by early evening…”
Bruce frowned. “Dick, why don’t you just do it here after your—”
“My appointment,” Dick cut in, too quickly, his face blushing. “No, I don’t
think Zatanna would want to wait that long here.” He wouldn’t meet Bruce’s eyes.
Something about that answer prickled at her. Appointment? What was that
supposed to mean?
“Can’t she go with you and wait there?” Bruce’s brow furrowed in
confusion.
Zatanna opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Dick shot
back, firm: “No.”
“Okay then,” Bruce said after a pause, his tone final. “You can work at the
Cave. But no sleeping over.” His gaze hardened as he spoke.
Zatanna’s eyes flicked to Dick. His cheeks looked burning red now, and he
ducked his head. “Fine. It’ll be quick.”
“Yes, Mr. Wayne,” she said trying to fill the silence. “We made a lot of
progress today. I think we’ll finish it soon…” She wasn’t even sure why she added
that. It was true, but the atmosphere of this house made everything feel like it
carried another meaning.
Zatanna stood, sliding her notebook into her backpack, taking the hint.
“I’ll ask Alfred to take you to the Zeta-tube spot,” Bruce offered, in a tone
that strained toward kindness.
“I can take her,” Dick said instantly, almost too hopeful.
But Bruce’s eyes cut to him, sharp as a blade. “No. Alfred will take her.”
Dick’s head lowered at once, shoulders tightening. He didn’t argue.
 Their dynamic seemed unbalanced in a way Zatanna had never noticed
before. When she saw Batman and Robin, Batman used to treat Robin as a
partner, an equal. But here, in Dick’s bedroom, Bruce Wayne sounded nothing
like a partner, he sounded like a father. A very strict one.
As she stepped into the car, there was only a soft “bye.” She wasn’t sure
what else to say. Alfred drove in silence too, though at one point he mentioned
that Dick used to talk about her a lot—never explaining what exactly.
Back at Mount Justice, M’gann had prepared dinner, as always. Zatanna
ate quietly before retreating to her room.
That night, sleep refused to come. Her mind kept circling back to the image
of Dick, sitting on the window seat, pen moving across the page. He had looked
so… handsome, maybe? And then there was that secret “appointment,” and
Barbara and Dick always together at school with all the easy smiles he gave her,
like he was having the time of his life.
Thoughts tangled, sparking one after another, burning hotter the more she
tried to push them away. But the picture of him at the window lingered, looping
endlessly, dancing in circles, until her breathless exhaustion finally pulled her into
sleep with her guilty. That damn vampire sparkling under the sunlight…
 6
yojne eht ecnelis

The class schedule had changed, moving Classical Literature from

Wednesdays to Tuesdays. Now they had one less day to finish their assignment,
but they were doing great, they would sure have enough time.
In the morning, Mr. Harrow went over each group’s goals for the
presentation. Dick felt confident—and so did Zee, at least she looked like it. The
teacher smiled as she explained their topic and said he was sure the two of them
would do great work together.
Classes went by normally, and Zee didn’t talk to him anymore. Dick thought
maybe she could change her mood, especially after she laughed at his joke about
his “vampire-coded” family. But, as she had pointed out, vampires weren’t really
her thing—and he understood what she meant.
Ballet class was brutal, as always, especially with Don Quixote just a
month away. Basilio was a demanding role, and Dick hoped the boy playing it
would manage to stay in one piece. Dancing Espada was way easier. Rehearsing
again and again, lifting the girl playing the sub Kitri more times than he could
count, made his muscles want to give up entirely.
The rehearsal eventually ended. There was no time to go home, so Alfred
picked him up from the studio to drive him to the Zeta-tube spot. Alfred was
unusually quiet, but there was a faintly mischievous smile on his face, like he
knew something Dick couldn’t even imagine.
He texted Zee to say he was on his way, got no response, but they had
talked about it earlier at school—she had confirmed—so everything should be
fine.
As he reached Mount Justice, the Zeta-Tube announced his name, M’gann
showed up with a curious face, like she had been doing something else and was
suddenly caught off guard.
“Dick? What are you doing here?”
M’gann was smiling, and Dick understood her surprise. Things had been
unusually calm over the past week—which meant they hadn’t seen much of each
other.
“I’m doing a school assignment with Zee. Is she around?” he asked, trying
to sound casual and nonchalant—not entirely sure why.
M’gann’s expression shifted; she looked genuinely worried now.
“I didn’t see her today. Canary comes every Tuesday afternoon to talk to her, and
she usually gets… you know…”
“Sad?” Dick guessed, remembering his own sessions with Black Canary.
“Sort of. I guess she’s in her room.”
“Well, we’ve got a lot of work to do, so… thanks.”
M’gann smiled politely again before disappearing—probably toward the
kitchen.
Dick knew the way to Zee’s room. It was five doors down from the one he
used to share with Wally when they had to sleepover. When he reached her door,
he took a deep breath, trying to pull himself together. It wasn’t easy to be back
here; the place stirred up too many feelings. Feelings he’d tried to bury deep
down—but they insisted on surfacing. She’d looked so pretty, sitting on that
ottoman in his room just yesterday, smiling, relaxed—almost the same way she
did, lying on her bed beside him on that first day she let him in.
He was still wearing his shades—he always did when he was in civvies
around the team—but it suddenly felt pointless. He took them off, hoping that
would give him a little more courage to knock on the door. Somehow, it did.
“One minute,” Zee’s voice called from inside—then, after what really was
one minute, she opened the door.
 “Oh no…” she said, the words falling out of her mouth the moment her
eyes met his.
She looked… wrecked. Her eyes were red and swollen, her hair a little
messy, her face tired in a way he had never seen before. And that was what really
got to him—he had never seen her cry. Not once. Not after missions, not after
fights, not even when Fate took her dad away. Seeing her like that made
something inside him twist, like the ground had shifted beneath him.
He froze. He didn’t know what to do—every instinct told him to leave, to
give her space, but there was another impulse, stronger, that begged him to be
there for her.
“I totally forgot about the assignment, Dick. I’m so sorry…” she said quickly,
her voice trembling as if the apology could cover everything that had just
happened before he got there.
He dropped his backpack to the floor without meaning to and took a careful
step closer.
“Hey,” he said softly. “It doesn’t matter right now.”
He reached for her hands. She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t look up
either.
“What happened?” he asked.
Zee took a deep, uneven breath, like she was trying to find words that
wouldn’t come. “I’m sorry, I just… lost track of time.”
Dick panicked. She was breaking in front of him and he didn’t know how
to fix it, but he had to try.
“Zee… look at me.”
She did. And when she finally met his eyes, he realized he’d never really
understood what it meant to want to protect someone—not from danger, but from
themselves.
“It’s okay,” he said, voice steady now, though he wasn’t sure for whose
sake. “We’ll figure it out. I’m just worried about you, that’s all. If you feel like
talking, I’ll listen.”
Zee seemed to realize all of a sudden that he was holding both of her
hands. She pulled away quickly, and for a moment Dick thought there was anger
in her eyes—but maybe it was just his imagination.
“Would you leave if I asked you to?”
 Dick thought about the question for a second. He wanted to say no, never,
but he knew what the right answer was.
“I can leave if you don’t feel comfortable with me here,” he said carefully,
“but I’m calling M’gann, Conner, or Red Tornado. And I’m not leaving the Cave
until I know you’re okay. I’m not letting you stay here all by yourself like this.”
Zee looked down, and he noticed she wasn’t holding back her tears
anymore.
“Please,” she whispered, “don’t call anyone.”
She took another deep, shaky breath.
“Would you… stay with me for a while?”
Dick’s heart tightened. He wanted her to tell him what was wrong so
badly—it felt like she might, eventually. Maybe he should call Red Tornado
anyway, but there was something in her voice, something desperate, that made
him stop.
“Sure,” he said softly. “For as long as you need me.”
Zee nodded, still staring at the floor, then stepped back into the room. Dick
picked up his backpack and followed. As he closed the door behind him, he
realized her room looked nothing like he remembered. It was so neat the last time
he was there, but now there were vinyl records and CDs scattered across the
floor, empty paper boxes, and clothes thrown carelessly everywhere.
Zee sat on the floor, hugging her knees tightly as she rested her head
against the edge of the bed.
Dick set his backpack down in the only clear space on the floor and carefully
stepped closer, trying not to tread on anything. He sat beside her.
He felt an overwhelming urge to touch her— to do something that could
make her feel better—but he wasn’t sure how she would take it. She was still
crying. Maybe he should ask what he could do, because just sitting there,
listening to her sobs, didn’t feel right either.
She sobbed again, lowering her head deeper between her knees. Dick
couldn’t help it; he reached out and laid an arm gently over her shoulders. She
didn’t react at first, so he kept rubbing her shoulder softly.
After a few minutes, her breathing began to slow, the crying easing into
quiet sniffles. And then, suddenly, she rested her head on his shoulder. It caught
him completely off guard—but he didn’t move. Instead, without really thinking, he
pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. He didn’t know why… it just felt like the
right thing to do.
Zee didn’t resist; she just kept breathing deeply until even her breathing
seemed to settle into place.
“So…” Dick began quietly. “Are you ready to tell me what happened?”
His voice seemed to pull her out of a trance. She lifted her head from his
shoulder and slipped out from under his arm.
“Well, I had a shitty talk with Black Canary,” she said, her voice hoarse.
“Don’t get me wrong, she’s amazing, but…”
There was a pause. A long one—like she was still deciding whether or not
to say it out loud.
“I just…” She sighed once more, and Dick realized even before she
finished speaking that she was probably about to start crying again.
“I realized my parents are never coming back. Ever…”
A single tear ran down her cheek.
“I know it’s silly, because my mom died more than two years ago, and of
course Fate is never letting my father go… but I think I’d never truly realized it.”
Dick felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. He knew that feeling—the
grief of a family who was never coming back, the hollow ache of being alone in a
world that had taken everything from you.
Without thinking, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders again. It was
pure instinct, and this time, Zee didn’t pull away.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “So deeply sorry for you.”
It wasn’t fair. None of it was fair. She shouldn’t have had to go through all
of this.
“So, I came back to my room, and I’ve been holding on to a lot of stuff from
my mom and dad. Since they’re never coming back, I thought I could separate
some things to charity and… stuff. But it got harder and harder, and then I
completely forgot you were coming. I’m sorry.”
Dick’s chest tightened. He moved closer, letting his fingers brush against
hers for a brief moment. “Don’t be. It’s okay. I know exactly what you’ve been
through…”
She swallowed hard, hugging herself tighter. “I just… I just want to get
away from all this stuff, since they’re never coming back for it anyway.”
 Dick’s arm itched to go around her, to hold her steady, whishing he could
take all her pain away. He resisted, unsure if she wanted that yet. “Zee, you really
don’t have to. You’re sensitive right now; you need to give it some more thought
when you’re calmer…”
Her hands clenched the edges of a vinyl box. “But now my room is a mess!
I need to do something about it, and gosh, I’m so sorry for making you come here
for nothing…”
She was so stubborn… just like always. Dick knelt slightly, picking up a CD
that had fallen to the floor. “It’s okay. I can help you put things back in place, and
then I can help you separate the things you want to donate in another day, once
you’re ready for the whole process.”
Her eyes flicked up, meeting his for a brief moment before darting away.
She couldn’t even know how much he just wanted to make her feel safe right
now, could she?
“What about the assignment?”
Dick chuckled softly, shaking his head. The assignment didn’t matter at all
right now. “Forget the assignment. We still have a week.”
Dick stood up and offered his hand to Zee. She looked at him for a moment
before taking it, and he caught a faint, tired smile on her face as he helped her to
her feet.
He asked how they were supposed to start, and thought it could be the clothes,
once they were going back to the paper boxes, just needed to be properly folded.
The room stayed quiet at first, filled only with the soft sound of sleeves sliding
against one another as they worked. Dick could tell Zee was embarrassed,
maybe even uncomfortable, and he didn’t have the heart to tell her again that she
didn’t need to be. He just wanted to help—to do something, anything, that could
make the weight she was carrying a little lighter.
While organizing the clothes, one piece really caught Dick’s attention. It
was an embroidered shawl — silky, colorful, with an insignia in gold. The symbol
of the Romani people flag.
Zee noticed it had drawn Dick’s attention and paused, the fabric slipping softly
through her fingers.
 “This one is definitely staying,” she said, smoothing the shawl across her
lap. “It was very special to my mom. She was—”
“Romani,” Dick interrupted.
Zee furrowed her brow, tilting her head slightly. “Yes... Yes, she was.”
“I’m Romani,” Dick said. He hadn’t spoken those words in a long time —
not out of shame, of course not, but because that old root just felt so distant from
the life he lived now.
“Well… me too,” Zee said, her voice softer now, not quite sure what to say
exactly.
They both kept folding in silence for a moment, the air feeling heavier but
not uncomfortable.
“Do you speak the dialect?” Dick finally asked.
“Sure. My mom used to talk to me in Romani, and my dad in Italian. They really
wanted me to be proud of who I am.”
Dick nodded, still surprised they had never talked about their Romani
mothers before. He reached for another shirt, smoothing the wrinkles that didn’t
really matter.
“Same,” she added after a beat. “My mom spoke Romani, and my dad
English.”
He smiled. “Wow… such a small world, huh? We’re probably cousins.”
Zee chuckled under her breath, shaking her head as she folded another
blouse. “Gosh, we’ve missed so many chances to talk in front of the others.
Nobody would’ve understood us anyway…”
“We sure did,” he said, watching her place the blouse into the box. “But it’s
good to know you understand me more than I thought.”
Zee smiled — a small, knowing one. Dick hesitated, wanting to say
something more, but the words didn’t come. He only watched as she placed the
last piece of clothing in the box, pressed the lid down gently, and pushed a strand
of hair behind her ear.
The silence that followed wasn’t heavy anymore. It was just… quiet. The
kind that felt almost peaceful.
“Done with the clothes. Records next?”
She smiled again — she wasn’t crying anymore, but that didn’t necessarily mean
she was fine.
“They used to be organized by release date,” she said quietly, pointing at a shelf.
“Then let’s do it again,” Dick replied.
Time passed by in which seemed to be more than one hour, and Dick found
himself starting to enjoy the silence, until he had to break it.
“No way you have this one.” His voice came out a little more excited than
he’d meant — he glanced at Zee and he was so different from the girl he had
found earlier. There was something calmer in her now, something at ease, and
that made Dick feel lighter too.
He held up a Wham! record. He knew this one — Make It Big, from 1984 — which
meant they were almost done sorting the vinyl records.
“Do you like George Michael?”
Stupid question, Dick.
“Do you like breathing?” Zee chuckled softly. “Well, we could listen to it. We’re
almost done with the records anyway… and I guess we still have some time.” Her
eyes wandered around the messy room, and she was right.
“Please!”
Her record player was still in its usual spot. In no time, Wake Me Up Before
You Go-Go was spinning, bright and alive, filling the silence that had felt so heavy
before.
When Zee flipped the record to the B side, they moved on to the CDs, Zee
didn’t care about their releasing order that much, so this part was much easier to
organize. Everything was calm, until the intro of the original six-minute version of
Careless Whisper was playing.
Dick liked that song — not ironically. He genuinely did. He’d always
enjoyed music from the ’70s and ’80s, actually; it reminded him of his family. Both
of them.
“Gosh, I’m so glad I’ll never have to live through the eighties and go
through a breakup,” Zee said with a grin, her eyes were still on the shelf. She was
sounding more like herself again, her tone lighter.
“Me too. Breaking up with someone and having this song played every
time you turn on the radio must’ve been rough.”
Dick smiled as he looked at her, and she smiled back.
“Guess I’d never gonna dance again,” she said with an exaggeratedly
goofy expression — one he hadn’t seen in a while, at least not directed at him.
Maybe that smile gave him the courage he needed to follow his heart and be a
little goofy too. And since they were almost done with the CDs, maybe they could
take a moment, just to make sure to cheer her up.
“Well, would you dance with me, then?”
Zee looked caught off guard. “Now?” she asked, her cheeks flushing
slightly.
“Yeah, just until the music dies…” He shrugged, holding out a hand.
She hesitated for half a second, then placed her hand in his. Her fingers
were warm, soft, grounding in a way he hadn’t expected. When she stood, the
movement brought her close — too close, maybe — close enough that he could
smell the faint trace coming from her hair, something floral and comforting. Dick
swallowed hard. It didn’t matter how many ballet classes he’d taken — nothing
had prepared him for this.
They started awkwardly, stepping on each other’s feet more than once.
Zee muttered a half-laugh, half-apology under her breath, and Dick tried to act
like he knew what he was doing, which only made it worse. Their rhythm was
completely off, their feet out of sync, and the whole thing became ridiculous fast.
When George Michael sang— “We’d hurt each other with the things we
want to say…” — Zee’s lips pressed together, trying not to laugh. Dick looked at
her, pretending to be serious, but the sight of her barely holding back made him
crack first. A laugh slipped out, and then another, until he was shaking.
That was all it took. Zee burst out laughing too, the kind of laugh that made
her bend forward and lose her balance, her forehead bumping lightly against his
chest. He caught her without thinking, still laughing, the two of them barely able
to breathe. The sound of their laughter blended with the song — “We could have
been so good together…” — the air in the room felt entirely light, like they really
could have lived this dance forever.
“Have I ever told you that I love your hobby of collecting these vinyl
records? You’re such a cool girl,” Dick said, still trying to steady himself.
“I guess you mentioned it once or twice,” Zee replied, her eyes sparkling.
They both laughed again, and tears formed at the corners of their eyes — crying
from laughter felt surprisingly good.
“I wish I was that cool…” he said, looking straight at her.
 “You could be.” There was a pause. “I can help you start if you want. I’m
pretty sure I have somethings here you’d really enjoy.”
“I’m sure you have…” Dick sighed, caught off guard by how pretty she
looked in that light. He realized he might have been staring too long and quickly
shifted his gaze elsewhere, thinking his response probably sounded a little too
Wally.
“Well, what should we listen to now?” He glanced at the CDs, and one
immediately caught his attention.
“My dad really loved Depeche Mode,” he said, holding the black and red
cover carefully.
“My dad too. Enjoy the Silence is the daddiest song ever,” she said with a
small grin.
Dick exhaled slowly. “It was his favorite. And Bruce also loves this song…
so, I guess I had two fathers, which proves your theory.”
She took the CD from Dick’s hands, “Depeche mode it is then”.
The music was on, and Dick let himself get lost in it completely. It didn’t
take long for them to finish; the room looked brand new again, as if Zee’s
breakdown had never happened. She sat in the same spot as earlier, but now
she seemed like a completely different person — legs crossed, calm, at peace.
Dick pulled his phone from his jacket pocket; it was almost ten.
Unsurprisingly, there a missed call and texts from Bruce, since he had told him
he’d be home by nine. He didn’t read everything, just typed quickly: “We’re almost
finished.” Then he slid back to sit beside Zee.
“Guess we don’t have any more time for our assignment, right?” she said.
Dick shrugged. “Guess not.”
Her cheeks flushed as she looked at him. “Thank you, Dick… you’re a
great friend.”
Wow. He had been a great friend once, and he never thought he’d hear
Zee say that again. “I do my best,” he chuckled.
But he felt she wasn’t done. Her eyes lowered again, and he listened as
the intro of Enjoy the Silence started — something he never imagined he’d be
doing tonight.
“Would you stay a little longer?”
 Of course he would. It didn’t matter how much time she needed, nor his
overprotective, hot-tempered father, nor the classes tomorrow, nor the mountain
of schoolwork. Not even his growling stomach, empty since lunch. He would stay.
“Sure. As long as you need me,” he said, unable to hide the smile
spreading across his face.
They didn’t speak again; words felt like violence, feelings were intense,
words were trivial. Dick realized all he had ever wanted, all he had ever needed,
was truly here — in his, or at least almost in his arms.
And suddenly, he felt the same urge he’d had before to reach her skin, but
in an entirely different way. Before, it had been a need to protect her; now, he
simply wanted to feel it, the smooth warmth against his own.

Zee looked at him as the music started to fade, and he could no longer
control himself. He lifted his hand and softly touched her chin with his thumb and
forefinger, lifting it up, just enough to feel her presence, to reassure them both.
They kept looking at each other for a moment that felt both long and short
at the same time. Then, out of the blue, Zee’s expression shifted — a flicker of
worry, a hint of shame.
“No, Dick, that’s… wrong,” she said softly.
“What?” He opened his mouth, unsure what she meant, but before he
could ask, she continued. “You’ve got to go. Thank you… really, from the bottom
of my heart, for helping me. I know you meant it, but I need to be alone for a
while.”
She got up quickly, and Dick did the same. He grabbed his backpack, and
Zee had already opened the door.
“See you tomorrow,” she said, her voice quick, almost like she was shooing
him out.
“See you,” he replied, a little confused.
The door closed. As he walked down the hallway, Dick tried to make sense
of what had just happened. Zee seemed upset, but not in the way he had feared.
What did she mean? Did she think he was one of those jerks who only help girls
to get something in return?
It wasn’t true. He had helped her organize her room because he genuinely
cared, and it had been just a touch on the chin — not a kiss. He would never do
it after all the emotional chaos seemed to has been though. Plus, he certainly
didn’t even have the courage for that, and she could have stopped him, or he
could have asked first. So… was he a jerk anyway? Still, he made a mental note:
maybe next time, ask first before getting too close.
The silence was still there, but it wasn’t enjoyable anymore.
 7
s’ti a kcol!

That night, Zatanna had a dream. Probably because her unconscious was
still processing everything that had happened. She hadn’t wanted Dick’s help, but
she sure had needed it—and he’d been there, looking so worried about her. Truly
worried, like she was someone he actually cared about. Maybe he did. Maybe
they could forget all the madness from kissing each other and go back to being
the great friends they once were.
But that last look—the one he gave her when he lifted her chin—it wasn’t
a friend’s look. And he was so despicable for doing that. He was with Barbara,
after all. He had chosen Barbara, not her.
So maybe Zatanna had been wronged all along, or maybe he was still the
jerk she had thought he was over the past few weeks—which was getting harder
and harder to believe, considering how sweet Dick had been, supporting her
through a complete breakdown.
She felt ashamed that he had seen her like that—not because it was him,
but because she hated being seen as someone who had completely lost control.
But if anyone had to witness such a weak moment, she was glad it was Dick. In
a way, he could be many things, but he wasn’t a blabbermouth. He was someone
who could be trusted with secrets.
 In her dream, she was at the beach near to Mount justice. She’d always
liked watching the sea. It was still a bit cold, yet in the dream the sun was glowing,
and she could feel the warmth against her skin — not burning, just soft and right.
The sand felt smooth, the breeze gentle, carrying tiny drops of salt water that
kissed her face as she sat hugging her knees.
“It doesn’t have to be like this.”
The voice made her realize she wasn’t alone.
To her right sat a boy — dressed in his hero suit, but without the mask. Half Robin,
half Dick. He didn’t look at her at first, only at the waves in the same direction that
had caught her gaze moments before.
“What?” she asked, not understanding how he had appeared there.
“Stop resisting.”
Then he turned to her, and she could swear she felt his fingers brushing
her chin again, just like that night in her room, his gleam was exactly the same.
“What do you mean?” she whispered, confusion growing second by
second as the sand beneath her seemed to slip away.
And just as suddenly as he had appeared, he was gone.
The sound of the sea faded — replaced by the shrill beeping of her alarm clock.
Zatanna knew that, for a normal human, a dream is, in simple biological
terms, a sequence of thoughts, images, sensations, and emotions that happen
during sleep. She also knew, scientifically speaking, though, dreams are more
than random brain noise; they’re the mind’s way of dealing with what can’t be
handled consciously — fears, guilt, desires, memories, unresolved feelings.
On the other hand, she wasn’t a normal human. As she got up and dressed
for school, she wondered whether this had been an ordinary dream or one of the
homo magi dreams, where the astral plane tries to send a message. But why
Dick? And what exactly should she stop resisting?
Could it have been an echo? No, it couldn’t. Only profound, deep
connections could create an echo capable of that. Yet the touch had felt so real;
she could still remember the texture of his gloves, his gaze so similar to the real
Dick’s. But normal dreams could feel real too. She had probably just been thinking
too much about last night. And now they had one less day to finish the
assignment.
 While having breakfast, sitting with M'gann and Conner, who were enjoying
themselves as usual and as cheesy as every morning, she grabbed her phone.
There were two messages from Dick. The first, from last night: "I hope you feel
better soon. Good night… and call me if you need me. Take care of yourself."
The second, from just a few minutes ago:
"Hey, how are you doing today? I’m sorry for bothering you, I just got worried."
Damn, he was a kind person. The kind who didn’t even need to make any
effort.
“Hey, I’m better, thanks again. I’m just worried about the time now… we
really need to finish the school work.”
Had it sounded too cold? Maybe, but it was exactly how she felt.
His reply came almost immediately. “I could stay after training, and then
we see what we can do…”
Training… oh no. The words hit her, and suddenly Zatanna felt every ache
in her body, as if she had spent the night fighting an entire army. Her muscles
screamed in protest, and a dull, persistent fatigue settled deep in her bones.
Black Cannary had once mentioned that anxiety crises could leave a body like
this, drained and tender.
“Sure,” she answered, her fingers trembling slightly as she typed, and
almost instantly, a smiling face appeared in response. It was small, but cute
somewhat.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened at school. Zatanna realized she was
beginning to like Bette. Or at least, she was starting to understand why Artemis
liked her. But Bette had missed class today—she had the flu or something—and
Zatanna caught herself missing her during lunch, when only she and Artemis
shared a conversation about their classical literature assignments.
Artemis and her partner were focusing on the suppression of women by
authoritarian governments, which tied perfectly to their book. It was a great idea.
Zatanna listened, but a familiar scene distracted her in a different way. Dick was
having lunch at the usual table with Barbara. She could see him, and they were
both laughing about something, though she couldn’t see Barbara’s face from
where she sat across from him. He looked happy.
Her mind drifted back to last night—how he had laughed while holding her
so close during what must have been the most ridiculous dance performance of
Careless Whisper ever. He had seemed so happy then. Wasn’t that enough? And
the way his smile now mirrored that same happiness… it hurt.
“Hey, Zee, do you copy?” Artemis’s voice pulled her back to reality.
Zatanna jumped slightly. “Sorry, I got distracted…”
Artemis glanced over her shoulder—and saw Dick. And of course she
didn’t need words; everything clicked instantly. She seemed to understand
Zatanna’s distraction, her thoughts, and probably a little of the ache she didn’t
voice.
“If I didn’t know you, I’d say you’re getting soft on Boy Wonder,” Artemis
said, a knowing, unsatisfied smile tugging at her lips.
Zatanna got furious and sad about Dick kissing Barbara, and then about
them being a couple. But she wasn’t as annoyed as Artemis. Artemis always had
so much rage in her eyes whenever she was in the same place as Dick. She
constantly claimed she would hit him so hard he’d never play with other people’s
feelings again—just waiting for the right opportunity.
“N-no,” she gasped. “Of course not, it’s just… he’s my pair, we were talking
about the classical literature—”
Artemis interrupted, sighing. “Zee, please, I can hear Girlfriend by Avril
Lavigne playing inside your head from here.”
It wasn’t exactly how Zatanna would have put it into words, but somehow
it made sense deep down. Even though she was strongly against feminine
competition—she was a feminist—she knew her problems were only between her
and Dick, and no one else.
Now she had a decision to make, one she had been wondering about since
last night: should she tell Artemis what happened? And if she did, how could she
explain it in a way that wouldn’t make her friend completely freak out over her
mental health?
“I just—” she started, her fingers tracing invisible lines on the table. “I just
started thinking, you know… after this whole thing about us doing the assignment
together, maybe we could… go back to being friends or something.” She
shrugged; eyes fixed on her food. “And, um, after that whole Clayface event,
maybe it would be— I don’t know— good for the team.”
Artemis frowned. She was always hard to read, but there was definitely
anger in her eyes — though, to be fair, she was angry most of the time anyway.
 “I don’t think you can be friends…”
“Why?” Zatanna asked, her voice sharper than she intended.
Artemis grinned, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“You still have feelings for each other.”
That wasn’t true. It couldn’t be.
“No,” Zatanna said, a little too quickly, a puff of air escaping her lips. “No,
we don’t. Please, he has a girlfriend.”
Her fingers played nervously with the edge of her tray, eyes glued to the
surface even as her chest tightened.
“Are you sure they’re really together?” Artemis asked, glancing over her
shoulder again. “Wally didn’t say anything about it — but then again, he says Dick
never talks about girls anyway.”
“Uh, isn’t it obvious?” Zatanna muttered, following her gaze before she
could stop herself.
Dick was laughing again, head slightly tilted back, that easy grin on his
face. His hand brushed against Barbara’s on the table, and Zatanna felt her
stomach twist before she could reason with herself. He looked relaxed.
She looked away, pretending to check her phone, pretending that her heart
wasn’t doing that stupid thing again.
“I don’t know, he got really shaken after you two ‘broke up,’” Artemis said,
making air quotes with her fingers.
Zatanna blinked, caught off guard. Shaken? That wasn’t how she had seen
it at all. She leaned a little closer, trying to sound casual.
“What do you mean by shaken?”
Artemis rolled her eyes. “Zee, please. He barely shows up at the Cave
anymore. He used to be around all the time. Now he only comes when he really
has to— and when he does, he’s always looking at you with that sad, suffering
face. I mean, it’s kind of pathetic, but also a little creepy.”
Zatanna forced a small laugh, but it didn’t reach her eyes. The image
Artemis painted felt strange, heavy. She didn’t like thinking of him that way—
because of her.
Artemis hesitated, then added, “And, plus… Wally told me last week he
was still really upset about the thing between you two. I’m not sure if Dick actually
said something, or if Wally just assumed.”
 Zatanna looked down, fingers tracing the rim of her cup. “Right,” she
murmured, but her thoughts were far away.
So now what? Was she supposed to tell Artemis that Dick had helped her clean
her room after she’d had the most monstrous breakdown of her life because she
finally realized her family was gone forever — and then he had lifted her chin like
he was about to kiss her — and that afterward she’d dreamed something so
strange, so vivid, he was there asking her to stop resisting?
Something that had felt too real, to the point she wondered if their “connection,”
or whatever she was supposed to call that thing between them, had somehow
echoed into the astral plane.
Which honestly made sense, because every time she really paid attention to him,
she could swear there was a kind of pull coming from his skin, like a quiet call
inviting her closer.
“He’s still a dick anyway,” Artemis muttered.
So, probably not.
“Sure,” Zatanna agreed. “He’s a dick.”
The topic changed to another school works, Sophomore has been so
harsh at them, especially math, which both Zatanna and Artemis hated so much.
And so other amenities came to the conversation, until it was already time to get
back to class.
After school, as it was Wednesday, both girls had to go to Mount justice for
training with Black Canary, suited up, this time, because Batman kept remarking
how it wasn’t a good thing for them to be seen in civvies near any of the zeta-
tube spots. As long as they got closer, a familiar voice came from their back.
“Hey, girls!”
Robin’s voice sounded particularly excited that afternoon, which was
enough to make Artemis roll her eyes the second it reached her ears.
“Hey, Boy Blunder!” she said, her tone dripping with irony. “To what do we owe
the honor of Gotham’s very own prince gracing us with his presence?”
Dick chuckled, clearly enjoying the exchange more than he’d ever admit.
“I think you’ve got me confused,” he replied. “That would be the amazing,
incredibly smart, and devastatingly good-looking Dick Grayson. I’m just Robin.”
 The joke pulled a reluctant smile from Zatanna, though Artemis didn’t look
amused in the slightest.
“Whatever. Let’s just not be late.”
Dick chuckled again. “Of course. Ladies first.”
Artemis stepped into the phone booth, her body vanishing in the burst of
light behind the Out of Order sign as the familiar voice announced, “Recognized.
Artemis B-07.”
Zatanna was about to follow when Dick’s hand gently caught her arm.
“Hey,” he said softly. “Are you okay? Like… truly, okay?”
She couldn’t see his eyes through the mask, but she knew exactly what
they must’ve looked like. She wasn’t okay — she was exhausted, hollow, still
frayed from the night before — but there was nothing Dick, or anyone, could really
do to fix that.
“Yeah,” she said quietly. “I told you earlier…”
“I just needed to hear it from your voice,” he admitted and Zatanna felt a
strange flutter in her chest at his words. “I know I’ve been—”
“No, that’s okay,” she interrupted. “I’d be worried too, if I’d seen myself like
that yesterday.”
He pressed his lips together, just nodding, and that was her cue. Zatanna
stepped into the phone booth, the world around her dissolving into the familiar
flash of light that meant she was on her way to Mount Justice.
But one thought was unavoidable: he was acting like he cared—truly
cared. And that made her remember what Artemis had said earlier, about them
still having feelings for each other. She certainly did, even though she wouldn’t
admit it to anyone. The idea that he might still feel something was frightening—
not just because of the whole Barbara situation, but because even if Barbara
didn’t exist, Zatanna would still feel… wary of his feelings for her.
Black Canary paired the team up again, but this time, they were supposed
to switch partners every now and then. As she had explained last week, she
wanted them to get used to different combat styles.
The two times Zatanna had to spar with Robin that afternoon, she couldn’t
help but wonder if he was holding back. In these close-quarters fights, he moved
with a precision and confidence that was almost unnerving. She had even seen
him take down Superboy once or twice—ridiculously stronger than him—and still
manage it as if it were nothing. Watching him, part of her wanted to see him really
let loose, just to test herself. But another part… another part made her wonder if
there was something he wasn’t telling her, some reason he restrained himself.
He swore he wasn’t holding back when she asked, but Zatanna wasn’t sure she
believed him.
When it was finally over, every inch of her body ached. Even breathing felt
like an effort.
“Movie night on Friday?” Wally’s voice cut through the air as everyone tried
to pull themselves together.
Black Canary only smirked, clearly satisfied with their exhaustion, and
waved them goodbye. “You all earned it. See you next week.”
“I’m in!” Robin was the first to respond, tossing one of his sticks over his
shoulder. “Besides, Zee’s never watched Twilight.”
Zatanna froze mid-step. “Wait—what? No way you’re bringing that up
here!”
Raquel turned to her with wide eyes. “Girl, what the fuck? You’ve never
watched Twilight?”
“Thank you!” Wally exclaimed, raising his hands dramatically. “Finally
someone said it!”
Conner frowned. “I’ve never watched it either. Is that… bad?”
Wally spun toward him, horrified. “Bad? It’s a cultural landmark, dude.
Human 101!”
M’gann blinked, genuinely curious. “I haven’t seen it either… is it really that
important?”
That was all it took. Wally gasped like someone had told him Santa wasn’t
real.
“You people are monsters!” he declared. “What’s next, you’ve never seen The
Lion King?”
Kaldur, calm as ever, tilted his head. “That one, I have seen. The death of
Mufasa was very appalling”
“Thank the ocean,” Wally muttered dramatically.
Meanwhile, Artemis rolled her eyes so hard it looked painful. “You’re all
pathetic. We train to save the world and this is what breaks you—sparkly
vampires.”
 Dick snorted. “I don’t know, I think the team could use the experience. It’s…
educational.”
Wally slung an arm around Artemis’s shoulders with that infuriating grin of
his.
“Babe, would you still love me if I was a sparkling vampire?”
Artemis sighed, but there was no real bite in it. “You are a sparkling idiot,
so I guess I already do.”
“Aw, you two are so cute,” M’gann said in her soft, amused tone, hands
clasped together.
Raquel laughed, stretching her arms over her head. “Alright, I’ve gotta go
— but Twilight on Friday it is!”
She waved at the team, still beaming, and leaned over to press a quick
kiss to Kaldur’s cheek before stepping toward the Zeta-tube. Whatever was going
on between those two, it was definitely something.
Kaldur’s gills flushed a faint shade of pink as Raquel vanished in the light.
As the others made their way home, M’gann, Conner, Dick, and Zatanna
grabbed something to eat in the kitchen, chatting casually for a while. Eventually,
the couple drifted to the couch — and, as always, Zatanna couldn’t help but find
it amusing how much two aliens enjoyed watching TV. But now, she and Dick had
to focus on their presentation.
She went to her room to change, too drained to bother doing it magically,
and a few minutes later, Dick knocked on her door, now in his civvies and shades.
They worked professionally — or as close to it as they could manage. Still,
Artemis’s words lingered in Zatanna’s mind, looping no matter how much she
tried to dismiss them. It just didn’t make sense. As Dick typed quickly on his
laptop, discussing key parts of the book and helping her draft analogies, he was
nothing but polite, kind, and focused.
“Okay,” he said eventually, standing up and zipping his backpack. “It’s
eight-thirty. I think we can call it a day.”
“Same time tomorrow?”
Dick thought for a moment.
“Don’t think so. I’ve got an appointment in the afternoon, and then the Bat’s gonna
be out of town — asked me to patrol.”
 He said it like it wasn’t a big deal, but Zatanna knew it was. He’d mentioned
more than once that Batman never let him patrol alone, saying he wasn’t ready
— and how frustrated that made him. Zatanna assumed this was probably the
first time he’d be doing it, though she couldn’t be sure.
“Wow… happy for you, then.” It wasn’t exactly what she wanted to say, but
it was all she managed.
“You could come to my place after school on Friday,” he offered, slinging
his backpack over his shoulder. “Then we can head to the Cave later for movie
night.”
“Sounds perfect.”
He smiled — small, without showing teeth — but enough to make her chest
warm.
Zatanna watched him for a second, the thought she’d had the day before
suddenly flashing back. She had wanted to give him a specific vinyl — one she
thought he’d really like. He’d told her a couple times that her collection was cool
and that he wanted to start his own someday. It felt like the perfect way to thank
him for being there for her last night. But then everything had escalated so quickly
— she had completely freaked out at the possibility he might have kissed her,
and the idea had slipped away.
“Wait,” she said, standing up before he could leave. “I want to give you
something.”
Zatanna got on her tiptoes, scanning the shelf for the record she wanted.
Organizing them by release date always paid off — and today it mattered even
more.
“That’s for you,” she said, her voice soft. “Just a way to… say thanks, for,
you know.”
Dick’s eyes lit up as he read the cover. “Journey… Frontiers! Wow. That’s
so cool. Thank you, Zee.”
Before she could respond, he pulled her into a quick, warm hug. She
tapped his shoulder, awkwardly unsure of how to react, but didn’t pull away.
“I was going to give it to you yesterday… but I got so—” She trailed off,
words failing her.
Dick eased her gently, letting her step back. “It’s okay. I’m sorry about last
night — it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have touched you without your permission.”
 He sounded sincere. That wasn’t what made her heart flutter, but she
simply nodded, deciding this wasn’t the moment for any more awkward
conversations.
“So… I guess I need a record player,” Dick said, adjusting his backpack.
“Bruce must have one at home, but I want to put one in my room, so I can actually
listen to it. I don’t know much about Journey, but—”
“I could make you one,” Zatanna said quickly, stepping closer, her eyes
bright with determination.
Dick raised an eyebrow. “Oh? How’s that?”
She leaned over her own record player, gathering every ounce of energy
she could summon. Her voice grew firm, commanding, almost melodic:
“Etacilpud eht drocer reyalp.”
A shimmer of light ran across the room. The original record player glowed
faintly, and then — in an instant — a second player appeared beside it, identical
in every detail, down to the tiniest scratch. Her heart skipped a beat. It had
worked. She was so relief, because she had felt so weak and didn’t want to fail
in front of Dick.
Dick’s jaw dropped, his eyes wide. “No way! Seriously… that’s incredible!
Zee, you’ve got the coolest powers ever! Thanks!”
Zatanna handed him the new record player. He cradled it carefully, as if it
were a fragile treasure, and smiled at her in a way that made warmth rise quietly
inside her.
As they moved toward the door, Dick lingered, hugging her again — the
record player and vinyl clutched in one hand. This time, the embrace lasted
longer; it was tender, grounding. Zatanna caught his familiar scent — something
that was just him — and it made her smile without realizing it, then feel guilty right
after.
“See you tomorrow, I guess,” she said, letting out a small breath as he
released her.
However, unexpectedly, he tilted his head, a sly grin tugging at the corner
of his mouth.
“Say it backwards,” he said, the words slipping out almost instinctively, as
if he didn’t even have to think.
 Zatanna blinked, then smiled with her eyes, her fingers twitching in a small,
playful mimic of casting a spell. “ees uoy worromot.”
He chuckled softly, a warm, low sound that lingered in the hallway, before
disappearing around the corner.
“Now,” he called over his shoulder, voice light and teasing, “it’s a lock.”
 8
eht B edis

As Dick opened the door to his bedroom, he felt happy — genuinely happy.
Alfred had told him he would give him some old records for his collection too. He
had also said something about Zee, but Dick hadn’t really understood; Alfred had
been acting very mysterious about the topic lately, every time they talked about
her. Which wasn’t much. Just the normal amount. Or as normal as it could be.
He looked around his room, deciding where he would put his future
collection of one single record. And of course, he needed a special place for the
record player. For the moment, he could only make some room on the bookshelf,
near his Spider-Man comics, pushing them a little closer together.
He had to focus, even though all his mind wanted to replay was Zee’s
image. Damn, he was supposed to be getting over her, but now every thought
brought her back: she dragging his body down during training, her smile, her hair
that always smelled too good. And that hug — just a little longer than it should’ve
been.
All right, focus. Tomorrow was a big day. Bruce had told him that morning
he’d be going on patrol alone tomorrow night. It would be his first time, and of
course, he didn’t want anything to go wrong.
 So before sleeping, he had to check his utility belt — there would be no
time for that tomorrow — and he still had homework to finish. It was already nine-
thirty. But there was no way he was going to sleep that night without listening to
his new record.
He set the needle on the vinyl, and Separate Ways began to play — the
sound filling the quiet corners of his room like a pulse. The first notes felt sharp
and alive, echoing against the walls.
First, Robin’s duties — because homework was math. Too easy.
He pulled the suit out of the backpack. It definitely needed a wash, but
there wouldn’t be time for that now. Bruce had mentioned there might be a team
mission on Saturday, so Sunday it would be. No more excuses.
He unclipped the belt — something he almost never did, because he would
never leave without it, he felt strange, naked somehow. He counted the
birdarangs, checked the charge on the escrima sticks, tested the wrist computer
— still perfectly synced to his laptop and bedroom PC. For a second, he laughed
quietly at the idea of someone finding it and stumbling across his literature
assignment with Zee.
It was going really well, that paper. Maybe because everything with her
always was. She had this way of making him see things differently — sharper,
brighter, like she was constantly pulling the world into focus. And she was so—
Focus, Dick.
He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck, the melody of After that fall rising
around him. And yeah, listening from a record really sounded different from the
digital remastered, it builds a whole exceptional vibe. The song had this strange
feeling to it — big, honest, a little lonely. How could something sound so cool and
kinda sad at the same time? Maybe that’s why Zee liked it.
But that was another thought about Zee. And not about algebra.
He pulled out his notebook anyway, flipping to the list of exercises.
Quadratic functions. Stuff he could do half asleep. Maybe he’d even fall asleep
trying. He smiled faintly, tapping his pencil against the desk, letting the rhythm
carry through him, before flipping it to B side.
The record kept spinning, the guitar fading into the quiet of the night. For
once, the sound of Journey made the cave-trained soldier in him feel like a normal
fourteen-year-old kid again. He finished his work before the end of Rubicon.
 With both Robin’s and Dick Grayson’s duties fulfilled, he wandered to the
kitchen for a quick snack. Alfred was gone by now—probably down in the cave
already, which meant he would not see Bruce tonight either. A hot shower
followed, washing off the training and the long day. Pajamas, lights dimmed,
silence.
And then, again, Zee crept into his thoughts. He knew he didn’t stand a
chance with her—not anymore, he had screwed things up for good—but maybe
they could still find their way back to friendship. The thought stung, sharp and
unfair, yet it felt like a small price to pay just to keep her close. The idea of losing
her completely was unbearable.
Still, a flicker of worry returned. She had looked better today, but he knew
what grief did to people. It never really left. It just learned how to wait.
Would it be weird if he texted her good night? She hadn’t replied right away
yesterday, but maybe she’d just fallen asleep. It was worth a try, anyway.
He reached for his phone on the nightstand, fingertips brushing through
the dark until he found it. For a moment, he just stared at the screen, thinking
carefully about every word before typing:
“Hey! Thanks for the gift. You were right—I really liked Journey. Good
night, and take care of yourself”.
He hit send before he could second-guess it, then placed the phone face
down beside him. The thought of her reading it made his chest feel warm in a
way he didn’t quite know how to name. Damn wasn’t he able to just chill? He
unlocked the screen again.
The three dots appeared right away, and then her reply popped up:
“I’m glad you liked it. Good night, Dick”.
Maybe it would sound a little cold to anyone else, but to him, it was the
perfect lullaby — the kind that made his heart settle into deep, quiet peace.
That night, Dick had a dream. Maybe it was because he had been thinking
about Zee so much that she had somehow anchored herself to his unconscious,
or maybe his mind was simply echoing what he already felt.
He was sitting on the beach near Mount Justice, the waves stretching
endlessly before him. It was still a little cold, but the sun hung high in the sky,
spilling golden warmth across his skin—not harsh, just comforting, like a soft hand
resting on his shoulder.
 Suddenly, a voice broke the quiet. Someone was sitting beside him.
“It doesn’t need to be like this,” Zee said, her gaze fixed on the horizon,
her lilac blouse catching the sunlight, the bow tie she wore in training perfectly in
place.
“What?” he whispered, unsure if she had been there all along or had just
appeared from the folds of his dream.
Her eyes found his, steady and piercing—the same way they had in the
three times she had kissed him. “I don’t want to resist anymore,” she murmured,
her voice trembling like a fragile promise.
Compelled by something deeper than reason, Dick leaned in, lifting her
chin with a careful hand. The world seemed to hold its breath. For a moment, the
warmth of the sun, the cool breeze, the soft rhythm of the waves—all of it faded
into the simple, raw closeness between them.
Then, as soon as his fingers touched her, the sand beneath them seemed
to dissolve, slipping away like water through his hands. She vanished, leaving
him alone, the echo of her presence fading as sharply as the shrill beeping of his
alarm clock.
The dream was strange, like it had felt a way too real when he touched
her, but it was nothing that caught Dick’s attention in a particular way. It felt good
somewhat, and he hoped he would dream about her again, maybe his
unconscious would be nice letting him live what he could never in reality.
The morning had been uneventful. He had caught a glimpse of Zee in the
hallway on his way to Algebra—she smiled when she saw him, standing beside
Artemis, who’s usual “not many friends” glare was firmly in place. Would Artemis
ever forgive him? Probably not.
Ballet after school had been brutal, as always, leaving him a little more
drained than usual. But now, at last, it was time for patrol—the night he had been
waiting for.
The city stretched beneath him, quiet but alive, every sound—traffic,
sirens, the river—blending into a familiar symphony. From the rooftops, Dick
moved like a shadow, stopping a jewelry store break-in before the thieves even
realized he was there, a blur of birdarangs and quick strikes leaving them hanging
neatly for the police. Later, a car chase pulled him through the city’s veins, leaping
between rooftops to intercept two drug dealers with calculated precision. By
midnight, after breaking up a mugging in the alleys, his pulse still raced with the
steady rhythm of adrenaline. There was beauty in the motion, in the city breathing
under his watch—like a dance only he knew the steps to.
By three a.m., the streets had calmed, and Dick finally allowed himself to
pause. He perched on the edge of a rooftop, taking in the city from above. From
his pocket, he pulled out a deck of cards—something he’d been practicing lately.
He wasn’t any good at magic tricks, not yet, but maybe Zee would think it was
nice that he tried.
The glow of the streetlights shimmered across the glass windows below,
and for a brief moment, he felt the rare peace of a night completed successfully.
Satisfied that the city was safe, he decided to call it a night and head home,
shedding the mask and suit, finally ready for some sleep.
No dreams that night—and only three hours of sleep before morning
training. He hadn’t done it in a while and wondered how Bruce managed to keep
it up every single night, like it was nothing. He feared he might fall asleep on the
parallel bars, so he kept the morning routine light—more mobility than endurance,
just to make sure.
School was fine; it was Friday, after all. Not that the weekend meant rest—
usually, it was the opposite. Barbara was all smiles, telling him she’d had a date
the night before. Things between them had been surprisingly fine. They were
friends—real friends—and probably always would be. When Dick had told her
he’d messed things up, that he liked Zatanna for real, Barbara had taken it well.
She’d even admitted she might have misunderstood things between them, that
she’d been confused too. So, they agreed to stay what they’d always been: good
friends.
Dick had thought he’d feel jealous when she started seeing someone else.
But when she told him about the guy from her class, he didn’t. Quite the
opposite—he was happy for her. He hoped it went well. Or at least that it made
her happy. Dick loved her—truly—and he always would.
After school, Zee was waiting for him by the gates, her backpack slung
over one shoulder and a few loose strands of hair escaping from the braid she’d
tied that morning. She greeted him with a hug that lingered less than he would
have liked, and Dick could’ve sworn he saw her cheeks turn a soft shade of pink
as she let him go. Had she always been this cute? The Gotham Academy uniform
had never seemed so flattering before. Maybe it was the way the light filtered
through the gray Gotham clouds, soft and hazy, catching the faint shimmer of her
hair.
On the drive to the manor, she sat by the window, talking animatedly, her
hands moving with every new thought. Dick couldn’t help noticing the sparkle in
her eyes each time she laughed. He figured she was excited for movie night,
though she’d never admit she was actually looking forward to watching “those
sparkling vampires”.
Even Alfred seemed unusually cheerful, his posture perfectly composed
but his tone light as he hummed faintly along with the car’s quiet radio. Once or
twice, he caught Dick’s gaze in the rearview mirror, raising an eyebrow with a
knowing smile that Dick couldn’t quite read—but it made his ears burn all the
same.
But she hadn’t come to his place to talk and laugh at his jokes, no matter
how much he wished they could spend the whole afternoon doing just that. He
absentmindedly ran his fingers through the deck of cards in his pocket once or
twice, feeling the smooth edges under his fingertips, but this wasn’t the time.
So, when they settled at his computer, they dove into work—real work—
until they were almost finished. Dick’s book was now full of notes, highlights, and
little marks where they wanted to quote for the presentation. He couldn’t help
stealing glances at her every so often—how she leaned in slightly when reading,
how her eyes caught the light from the monitor and lit up when she discovered a
point he had missed.
Zee had this amazing way of seeing ordinary things, turning them into
something sharp and clear; she was so smart, so perceptive. Dick ended up
highlighting many points he wouldn’t have noticed on his own, silently grateful for
her guidance. They worked until their shoulders ached and their concentration
wavered, leaving only the analysis and construction of Rochester for their last
meeting—probably Sunday, maybe Monday, depending on what this weekend’s
mission had in store for them.
Even though they were just finishing homework, being near her made the
whole room feel warmer, softer, somehow lighter, and Dick couldn’t help feeling
that every quiet moment with her was worth savoring.
 Zee put her things back in her backpack while Dick changed at the closet.
Alfred was in the kitchen, so they headed there once they were both ready to go.
“Alfred, I’m going back to Mount Justice with Zee. I talked to Bruce…” he
said, a bit ashamed. Wasn’t it pathetic how much permission he always needed,
how he always had to be babysat?
“Sure, Master Bruce had already spoken to me,” Alfred replied, not even
turning from the vegetables he was chopping.
Zee stood next to Dick, looking down at her feet—maybe she was
embarrassed too. Dick was sure Alfred had noticed, so why did he even have to
say it?
“Alfred, could you take us to the Zeta-tube spot, please?”
Alfred glanced at Dick, barely rotating his body, but that grin—the same
one from the car earlier—spread across his face.
“Master Dick, the Ducati is still down at the cave. Why don’t you take Miss
Zatanna by yourself?”
No way. No way he was actually suggesting that. Dick couldn’t believe this
was happening. Alfred was the best—simply the best. Bruce would never, ever
allow this. His heart raced; he was so glad he had used the Ducati for patrol last
night. Honestly, this was the best moment of his entire life. But he had to act
chill—she couldn’t notice he wasn’t perfectly used to doing this.
“Ah… sure, okay then. See you later,” he managed to say, trying to keep
his voice steady.
He was already making his way out of the kitchen when Alfred’s voice
called again.
“Master Dick?”
“Sure,” he said, poking his head back inside, cheeks warming.
“Why don’t you sleep over at Mount Justice tonight? Master Bruce
mentioned you guys have a really early mission tomorrow,” Alfred added with a
wink. Dick’s heart skipped a beat, and he wondered if Zee had noticed—probably
not, since she was a few steps ahead—but he couldn’t resist this time.
“Just a minute, Zee,” he said. She nodded and stayed still while Dick ran
back into the kitchen. He hugged Alfred tightly, feeling a rare warmth spread
through his chest. How could he be so thoughtful all the time?
 “Thank you. I’ll do the dinner dishes every night forever,” he said, grinning
through the nervous flutter in his stomach.
Alfred chuckled. “Everything for young love.”
“For real…I love you.” Alfred would never get sentimental about this kind
of thing, but Dick would always say it, because it was true.
“Go, Master Dick. Your father will be here any minute.”
As he said goodbye to Alfred, Dick took one last quick step into his room
to make sure he had everything he needed in his backpack. Zee lingered by the
bookshelf, where the record player sat, quiet and curious, her eyes scanning the
little treasures scattered across the shelves.
“So… we’re really going down into the Batcave?” she asked, a half-smile
tugging at her lips as they started downstairs.
“Yeah… it’s not as exciting as people make it out to be,” he said, trying to
sound casual, though his chest was doing somersaults.
She giggled softly. “Oh boy, I wish I had known earlier—I would’ve brought
my camera.”
Dick couldn’t help but smile back, catching the playful sparkle in her eyes.
When they reached the living room, he quickly glanced at the clock, entered his
eyes’ biometric scan, and the hidden panel slid open without a sound. A soft hum
of machinery echoed as the first step into the cave revealed the shadowy
expanse below.
As they descended the straighter, wider stairs, Zee reached for his hand—
and this time, he didn’t hesitate. Their fingers intertwined naturally, small and
warm, a quiet reassurance in the middle of the cavern’s cool darkness. The faint
glow of the cave lights bounced off the walls, casting long, dancing shadows
around them.
Could this day possibly get any better? Dick’s heart told him yes—every
beat seemed to echo the simple, perfect thrill of sharing this secret world with her.
Once they finally reached the cave, Zee’s eyes darted everywhere, taking in
every shadow and detail. He needed to suit up, so he took advantage of her
curiosity and slipped behind the Batcomputer to change.
“What’s the giant coin for, exactly?” her voice echoed faintly through the
air.
 “Wally’s not the only one who likes souvenirs,” he answered, fumbling to
get his pants on as fast as possible.
There was a short silence, broken only by the distant hum of the cave. As
he adjusted his mask, her voice came again.
“Wow. That’s a really cool bike.”
It was the coolest bike ever, but he’d let that one slide.
“Thanks. Birthday present,” he said, stepping out from behind the
computer. She stood a few steps away, facing the Ducati, her hair catching the
dim blue light.
“Can you even drive? I mean, aren’t you, like, fourteen?”
He touched her shoulder lightly, just to let her know he was there. “Not in
civvies, for sure. And I heard you use to do it with Artemis all the time”
She said nothing, but her cheeks were flushing a little. Okay, they needed
another helmet. There had to be a spare somewhere.
Zee murmured something unintelligible, and since she was already in her
usual magician clothes, Dick assumed it was a spell.
“I never thought you were the motorcycle-and-cars type,” she said.
“Why not?” he asked, raising a brow.
Zee shrugged. “I just didn’t.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m that kind of guy, but if you asked what I like most, I’d
say fighting, performing, and driving. Not necessarily in that order.”
No helmets around—maybe there was an extra in one of the cabinets.
“So, you’re the one driving the Batmobile?” she said, that teasing tone back
in her voice as her eyes gleamed with amusement.
“I wish,” Dick chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Bruce is very overly
protective about his cars.”
A crooked smile tugged at his lips while he kept searching for the damn
helmet, moving boxes and opening drawers. The cave was quiet except for the
echo of his steps and the hum of the computers. Something in the calmness
made him feel like talking, like letting something old and ridiculous slip out.
“I stole a car from him once. When I was nine.”
Zee blinked. “What?” She turned fully to him, her expression somewhere
between disbelief and laughter. “You stole a car from Batman?”
 “From Bruce, technically,” he said, grinning now. “It was a few months after
I got here. I wasn’t Robin yet, I was just… rebellious, I guess. Lost…”
“How come? You can’t just throw that out like it’s nothing.”
He let out a breath through his nose, the grin fading into something smaller.
“It wasn’t a big deal—well, I mean, it was the Porsche, so maybe it was a big
deal. I didn’t even know how to drive, like truly drive, but I had taken some time
observing” He crouched to check another locker and kept talking. “Bruce has this
vintage Porsche 911 from 1986. It was his father’s. I’ve been in love with that car
since the first time I saw it. I’ll introduce you two next time.”
He found nothing, stood up again, and leaned his shoulder against the
metal cabinet, looking at the ground for a second before continuing. “One day I
was just… really bad. You know, the whole thing about my parents, and that day
it hit differently. The psychologist told me that the police suspected it wasn’t
probably an accident, it was when I finally realized my family was never coming
back. When it got real. So, I thought, what’s the point in fighting every stupid
urge? I wanted answers, I wanted a way to get out and investigate, so I took the
keys and drove through Gotham. People though I ran away, but I was just looking
for the answers nobody would give me.”
Zee’s smile softened, her teasing gone. “That’s—wow.”
He let out a small laugh, shaking his head. “Of course it didn’t end well.
The police stopped me, Bruce was furious. It was a huge mess.” His voice
warmed with the memory, though, quieter now. “But once he understood why I
did it, he was… okay? Maybe? I don’t know. It was good to have someone who’d
been through the same thing by my side back then. But yeah, I got in a lot of
trouble with the social assistant who was monitoring my adoption process.”
Zee’s expression shifted, just slightly — like something in his story had
touched a memory she wasn’t ready to share. He could tell she was sad, even if
she tried to hide it behind that calm, thoughtful silence.
Luckily, the second red helmet — the one with the black circle and a yellow
R at the center of it— finally showed up in a cabinet he could’ve sworn he’d
already checked. Maybe he had just been too distracted.
“Here you are,” he said, handing it to her with a small smile.
 She slipped it over her head, tucking a few loose strands of hair beneath
it, then grabbed his backpack and fit it neatly inside hers. She looked ready. More
ready than he felt, honestly.
Dick fastened his own helmet and swung a leg over the Ducati, the metal
cool under his gloves. The faint hum of the engine vibrated through his chest as
he glanced back at her.
Zee hesitated only a second before climbing on behind him, her hands
uncertain until they settled against his sides — light, hesitant, but there.
He grinned beneath the helmet. “Do you trust me?”
“Not even a little,” she answered, laughing, her voice half-muffled through
the visor.
“So you’d better have practiced some teleport spell,” he teased.
“I sure have done, Robin.”
Her tone carried that familiar spark, and for a second, it was easy to forget
everything else — the city, the missions, the constant pressure. It was just them,
the low growl of the engine, and the unspoken thrill of what came next, like life
had flipped to the B side.
 9
ehT esimorp

The trip to the Zeta-tube spot had flown by—too fast, really—and she
found herself grabbing Dick’s waist a little tighter than necessary, her mind
already on the teleport spell she knew she wasn’t ready to cast. He had a usual
spot to hide the bike, which suddenly made a lot of sense.
Once they got to the cave, she headed straight to her bedroom for a quick
shower. By the time she returned to the living room, everyone was already there.
Well… almost everyone. Artemis was still missing. M’gann and Conner were in
the kitchen, laughing as they worked on popcorn, while Dick and Wally fussed
over the TV, making sure the movie was ready to play.
No way. They were actually doing this? It was so ridiculous.
Raquel was perched on the arm of the sofa next to Kaldur, who looked…
troubled? Somehow. They looked impossibly cute together. Raquel wasn’t
exactly the type to wear her feelings on her sleeve, but Zatanna knew she really
liked him.
But did that mean the night was going to be all couples? Ugh. Gross.
“Recognized Red Arrow B-06. Recognized Artemis B-07.” The Zeta-tube’s
voice caught everyone off guard—they hadn’t seen Roy in a while, and Artemis
hadn’t mentioned anything.
 In no time, Roy and Artemis were gathered together. Roy seemed
surprisingly chill, all smiles as he greeted everyone like he hadn’t literally
vanished for weeks. And now… what? He was just showing up for movie night
and everything was fine?
“My boy, Speedy,” Dick said, hugging him. “What do we owe the honor?”
Zatanna was secretly impressed that Dick actually had the guts to ask what
everyone else was probably thinking.
“Hey, boy blunder,” Roy teased. “Heard you have a special mission
tomorrow. Thought I could sleep over—my little sis told me you’re watching
Twilight.” He ruffled Artemis’ hair, though she didn’t seem too happy about it.
“I’m a big fan,” Roy added with a grin.
Zatanna hadn’t spent much time with Roy, but she knew he’d been through
a lot. He seemed like a nice guy, even though her opinions of him were mostly
shaped by what Artemis thought. The whole team was gathered around Roy,
asking small-talk questions, going through the usual routine. Well, at least she
wouldn’t be trapped with all the couples and Boy Wonder only anymore.
From a certain distance, Zatanna felt something tugging her arm sharply,
pulling her into the hallway—and she knew that pull all too well.
“Artemis, what the fuck?” Her friend’s eyes were worried.
“Listen, I think Roy has been hooking up with my sister.”
Okay… that would bring a lot of thoughts to Zatanna’s mind later, but at
first, the only thing she could think was:
“Why does everybody have a date all of a sudden?”
Artemis pressed her lips together and shook her head.
“What are you talking about?”
“My sister Jade… I think Roy has been with her.”
Putting it rationally, right, that was bad. Really bad. Artemis’ sister always
found a way to take her peace away.
“Why?”
“He hinted at something. Gosh, I hate them both”.
Zatanna noticed Artemis’s hands trembling slightly and realized she
needed to calm down.
 “Arty… I know it’s bad, but it’s not the end of the world, right?” Zatanna
said, keeping her voice low and steady, trying to anchor her friend. “I mean…
they’re both adults, technically. It’s not like this has to affect you.”
Artemis’s eyes narrowed, and she kicked at a loose tile on the floor. “Are
you out of your mind? Of course it has to do with me! Ugh… I know he’s here
because this mission tomorrow probably involves Speedy… the real one.”
Zatanna ran a hand through her hair, sighing softly. “Arty… but what could
we even do? If they’re together, it’s really not your business this time.”
“I just want to find out if it’s true,” Artemis muttered, her voice tight.
“Why don’t you just ask one of them directly?” Zatanna suggested, tilting her
head, watching her friend pace in small, restless circles.
“No! Of course not. And…” Artemis’s gaze flicked to the ground, fingers fiddling
with the hem of her sleeve, “that’s why I wanted to talk to you.”
“Me?” Zatanna blinked. “I’m not asking Roy if he’s been hooking up with your
sister—I barely know him.”
“What? No, not Roy.”
“Then… Jade?” Zatanna asked carefully, testing the waters, that familiar knot
already twisting in her stomach.
“No. I want you to ask what Dick knows about it.”
Zatanna’s heart skipped a beat. Dick. Of course. Why is it always him?
“How is Dick involved in this?” she asked, frowning. The words came out heavier
than she meant them to. Every time his name came up, her mind went a little
blurry—like it couldn’t decide if it wanted to analyze him or avoid him completely.
“Come on,” Artemis said, rolling her eyes with a knowing look. “He knows
everything—about everybody. You know he does. He just wouldn’t tell me… not
directly, at least.”
Zatanna could already imagine Dick’s face if he found out she’d been
dragged into Artemis’s detective plan. Great. Now she was in the middle of
something she shouldn’t even care about.
“All right… and why would he tell me anything?” she asked, trying—and
failing—to sound casual. The question hung in the air for a beat, and Artemis’s
lips curved almost instantly.
Artemis grinned, mischief lighting up her face. “Because you’ll use your charms.”
 Zatanna let out a short laugh, crossing her arms as disbelief crept into her
tone. “What charms? What are you even talking about?”
Artemis only shrugged, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I
don’t know, test his limits. Do something.”
Zatanna’s brows furrowed, the amusement fading into mild irritation. “Why
does it have to be me? Ask him yourself!”
That earned her a quiet laugh; Artemis leaned back, the sound softening
the tension like a gentle wave over a rocky shore. “Are you really asking me that?”
Artemis rolled her eyes and flung her hands into the air. “Zee, since the
day I met that boy, he scared me. He’s a soldier, he speaks so lightly and jokes
all the time, but for real… he’s lethal. I’ve never, ever seen him lose focus in a
fight, or in any other situation. He’s like a machine. Unless you’re at a game—
then he’s just some pathetic boy who would do anything, you want.” She jabbed
a finger toward the ceiling for emphasis, pacing a step forward. “And you know
that. It doesn’t matter his thing with Barbara or whatever—they’re irrelevant. Deep
down, you know if you ask him anything, he’ll give you the answer right away.”
Zatanna blinked, feeling the weight of Artemis’s words. The conversation
had gotten strange, a little surreal. She didn’t like imagining herself with so much
influence over someone else. Her eyes drifted to the living room—popcorn was
ready, and the others were starting to settle in. She caught sight of Dick, smiling
at Wally, probably saying something ridiculous, like they always did. He was just
a boy, a normal one, not quite the perfect, lethal machine Artemis had painted,
nor the guy who would do anything for her either.
“Plus,” Artemis’s voice cut through her thoughts again, like she was tired
of the silence, “you’re my best friend. Confirming that it’s not true would be such
a relief.” She pouted, her expression softening. She’d been such a great friend to
Zatanna—the best one, actually. How could she say no?
“Okay… fine, I’ll do it later,” Zatanna relented.
“Promise?”
Zatanna nodded affirmatively while Artemis wrapped her arms around her.
“I knew I could count on you, Zee. You’re the best.”
Before Zatanna could even say anything, Wally’s hand landed on her
shoulder, as if he’d sprinted over. “Ladies, sorry to interrupt the true girly
friendship moment, but we’re just waiting for you.”
 Artemis opened a big smile once more as she took her boyfriend’s hand.
Zatanna followed, her eyes flicking across the room, noting the positions of
everyone. Two couches filled the living room: M’gann and Conner were on one,
Kaldur sat next to M’gann, and Raquel next to Kaldur. Artemis and Wally were
probably sprawled on the rug, as they usually did. That left the other couch, the
one in which Roy and Dick were sat on the center.
In any other situation, she might have chosen to sit near Roy, even though
they barely knew each other. And don’t get it wrong—things with Dick had been
improving, and she had been thinking a lot about their “it’s a lock” moment. Too
much, actually, and sometimes Zatanna worried she might let herself cross a line
she didn’t want to cross.
She took a slow breath, trying to steady the flutter in her chest, and walked
over. Her fingers brushed lightly against the couch cushion as she slid onto it,
settling beside Dick. Use my charms, she repeated Artemis words to herself. Her
heart kicked up a notch as she adjusted her posture, making sure she wasn’t too
close—or too distant.
Her eyes flicked to his, then to his hands resting on his lap. She noticed
the slight tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw tightened just a fraction, and it
made her pulse quicken. She forced herself to focus, to remind herself she was
just sat there to ask him a simple question later.
A quiet thought whispered in her mind: Just act normal. She let her fingers
graze his arm subtly, a tiny, accidental-seeming contact, just to gauge his
reaction. The warmth of him so close was dizzying, and she pressed her lips
together, forcing a small, controlled exhale.
Finally, she let her gaze settle on his face, silently telling herself to stay
calm. The movie had started, and Bella had mentioned she’d never really thought
about how she was going to die. Zatanna thought that, if she did die right now,
she wouldn’t have to fulfill this ridiculous promise to Artemis.
During the first few minutes, Zatanna found herself paying more attention
to Dick’s reactions than to the movie. Suddenly, he started casting quick glances
her way, as if he had noticed her watching. She forced herself to calm down: it
was just a movie. They would watch it, she would ask him to stay later, and then
she would ask the question. They had spent the whole afternoon together—they
had talked a lot. It couldn’t be that difficult.
 She tried to look away, but Dick’s gaze kept finding hers little by little.
Forcing her body to relax against the couch, she accidentally brushed against
him. He almost jumped, startled, and she noticed, quickly adjusting her position
just enough so they weren’t touching anymore. She swung her legs up and
crossed them, finding a more comfortable position, hoping she could finally focus
on the screen.
The way Edward treated Bella during biology class made her cringe. The
team laughed and made jokes about it, but really—how could anyone find that
funny? It was just so lame. How had the actors even managed to film it? And had
it even been ten minutes? Maybe overthinking about Dick was far more
entertaining than this.
When the classic scene came up—Bella confronting Edward about him
being a vampire—Dick, Wally, and Raquel were practically in ecstasy. Gosh,
okay, maybe it was kind of funny, the way it was so ridiculous, and how the actors
were clearly giving their all to make it feel real. She allowed herself to laugh at
one or two of the jokes.
Plus, the script was organized in a way that made her roll her eyes. What?
Bella traveled to another city just to buy a book, opened it right on the page that
talked about vampires, and—after a second of reading—figured out through
Google that Edward was a vampire? How was that even supposed to work?!
But she couldn’t deny she was enjoying the moment. Even Artemis
seemed to be having fun. The popcorn tasted particularly good, and they were
allowed a little fun after all, right?
She glanced at Artemis again, lying on the floor with her boyfriend. They
were whispering something to each other between small kisses, and Artemis was
smiling in a way Zatanna didn’t often see. She imagined her best friend must be
a completely different person when alone with him, because even in the dim
room, with the TV as their only light, she could see how Artemis’s eyes brightened
for Wally. It was strange, really—everyone knew they were a couple, but she still
treated him with the same spitfire attitude as always, while Wally looked at her
like she was some kind of goddess.
And she was, truly. Zatanna loved her, deeply. So much that she’d put
herself in the kind of trouble she was in now—just for Artemis.
 So, when Edward sucked the vampire venom from Bella’s arm, Zatanna
realized this strangely fun torturing movie would probably end soon. She needed
to act. Part of her was urging her to do something she had already been thinking
about lately, something Artemis also told her to do, and maybe it would really help
convince Dick to tell her what he knew about this whole Roy and Jade situation—
but if she failed, he wouldn’t say anything, not today at least. They still had the
mission tomorrow and another meeting to finish the classical literature
assignment, and Artemis hadn’t demanded an answer right away. Maybe it was
worth the try.
Since Tuesday night, when Dick had held her chin like he was going to
kiss her, she had been wondering what his limits were. If he was with Barbara—
and she was pretty certain he was—what was the most affection he would allow
without pushing her away? And was it terrible she was thinking about it? It sure
was. Was it the first time she’d thought about it today? Surely not. They had spent
the whole afternoon together, and he had treated her so nicely, flirting at times—
but he couldn’t really be flirting, right? It was all in her head… but what if it wasn’t?
Then he would be a jerk—but wasn’t he already? Anyway, she was only doing
this for Artemis, and for Artemis only, not because she wanted to.
She looked at Dick’s hands; both were resting on his lap as he focused on
the movie. It was the climax of the tension: would Bella turn into a vampire? Could
Edward stop himself? Zatanna did something she wouldn’t be proud of, just to
test him. Her little finger pinched Dick’s, like she was making a pinky promise. A
couple of seconds passed, and she couldn’t breathe. He never took his eyes off
the screen, just pinched her finger back. She knew it—he was a jerk, a traitor.
Not that it was that bad, but if she had a boyfriend, she definitely wouldn’t like him
pinkying another girl’s finger.
A couple of minutes passed, and Bella was now at the hospital. A shy smile
tugged at Dick’s lips, but his eyes never left the TV. Then, all of a sudden, he
caught her hand—really caught it—and all his fingers entwined with hers. He was
the worst. Her hands started to sweat a little, but she wasn’t about to give up. For
some reason, the feel of his hand on hers sent shivers up her arm, making her
heart race and her breath uneven. She gathered all the courage in her body to
double down, needing to stay calm. They had held hands before, hugged before,
even kissed before… but she wasn’t going that far, of course, because that would
be actual cheating, and she wasn’t a cheater, no matter how much Dick was
acting like one.
A little hesitant, Zatanna shifted slightly on the couch and let her head rest on
Dick’s shoulder. He didn’t move away; instead, he seemed to settle into it, like it
was the most natural thing in the world. The warmth of him bled through the thin
fabric of his shirt, steady and disarming, while her whole body felt caught between
wanting to relax and wanting to flee. Her heartbeat thudded too loud in her ears.
She tried to steady herself, counting her breaths, matching them to the
faint rise and fall of his chest. But a few minutes later, Dick’s arm slipped around
her shoulders—casual, easy—and the rhythm she’d fought to find broke again.
The movie seemed to be really nearing its end now. Bella and Edward
were dancing at their prom, the lights soft and strange on the screen. When
Edward kissed Bella’s neck, Zatanna blinked, half-confused. What was even
happening? Was she a vampire now? Maybe she’d missed too much while trying
not to notice every single thing Dick was doing—or not doing.
And soon, someone would turn the lights back on, and the others would see
them—sitting there, tangled together on the couch, heads resting against each
other. So, what was she doing? Pulling away? Dick, on the other hand, seemed
perfectly comfortable with the situation. His fingers kept tracing slow, absent
circles on her shoulder.
The picture of Victoria swearing revenge finally gave way to the
credits, and before Zatanna could even decide what to do, Wally had already
dashed to turn the lights back on. In seconds, the room was filled with chatter—
everyone sharing their impressions. M’gann seemed to have liked it; Conner
declared it the worst movie he had ever seen; Kaldur said he wasn’t quite sure
what to think. The others, who had watched it before, jumped in with their own
comments. Even Roy added something.
But no one seemed to notice her and Dick. He stayed silent too, as if the
two of them had suddenly become invisible in the middle of the noise.
“What about you, Zee? You said you’d never watched it either,” Raquel’s
voice cut through the conversation, pulling the group’s attention toward them.
Zatanna lifted her head from Dick’s shoulder—his arm still resting there,
unmoved. He looked at her.
 “Me?” Her voice wavered. Somehow, the fact that everyone was acting so
normal about their closeness felt worse than if they’d commented on it.
“It was funny…” she managed.
Dick smiled, wide and bright. “See? I told you—”
“So bad it’s good,” she interrupted quickly.
He chuckled, that familiar, soft sound. “Exactly.”
People began stretching, yawning, and collecting empty popcorn bowls.
M’gann floated them to the kitchen with a casual wave of her hand, while Wally
was already making dramatic commentary about how clearly Edward was faster
than any speedster alive. Artemis rolled her eyes so hard it almost looked painful.
Zatanna tried to sit up fully, brushing an invisible crumb off her skirt. Dick
finally moved his arm away, and the sudden loss of warmth was ridiculous to
notice—but she did. He stood up next to her, stretching lazily, that small, satisfied
smile still hanging on his lips.
“So,” Wally said, turning toward the group, “next time we pick something
that doesn’t make Conner want to punch the TV, right?”
“Good luck with that,” Artemis muttered, nudging him with her foot.
Zatanna smiled faintly, trying to blend back into the casual rhythm of the
room. Her pulse was still all wrong, though.
Dick leaned down a little, voice low enough that only she could hear. “Told
you it was worth sitting through the pain.”
She gave him a side glance, pretending to be unimpressed. “You owe me
for this one, Boy Wonder.”
He grinned. “Deal.”
And that was the problem—he sounded like he meant it. He had sounded
like he meant it all along.
Across the room, Artemis shot her a piercing look. Zatanna instantly understood
the message: don’t lose focus. She had a purpose tonight, a promise to keep.
But the more time passed, the less it felt like the right moment. The
atmosphere had shifted—light, comfortable, familiar. The team had returned to
the couches, laughter bouncing easily between them as if they really were just
ordinary young people, pretending the world outside didn’t demand more from
them.
 Roy was talking now, explaining what he’d been doing during his time
away—his search for the real Roy Harper. At first, Zatanna had thought Artemis’s
theory about him and Jade sounded like pure paranoia, but listening to him now…
something about his tone didn’t quite add up. Artemis sat beside her, poking her
arm every time he said something suspicious, and annoyingly enough, it did start
to make sense.
Zatanna’s attention drifted again—to the opposite couch, where Dick was
sitting beside Wally. The two were bickering over something stupid, as usual. She
watched them for a moment, the corners of her mouth curving despite herself.
Sometimes she wondered how those two managed to stay so close when they
couldn’t seem to agree on anything. Maybe that was the secret—they didn’t have
to.
When Raquel announced she was heading home, the others who were
staying for the night began drifting back to their rooms. It was late, and with a
mission scheduled for the morning, turning in just felt like the reasonable thing to
do.
Even after everyone had gone quiet, she could still feel the echo of his
hand on hers — like a ghost that refused to fade. Back in her room, though,
Zatanna’s head wouldn’t stop spinning. She had to ask him—she knew that. But
she couldn’t do it tonight. Not after everything. It shouldn’t be this hard, should it?
She sat on the floor, pulling her knees close to her chest, resting her head
against the side of the bed. Her thoughts wandered back to the last time she’d
been in this same spot—when she’d been a complete mess and Dick had held
her, gentle and steady, like he truly cared. But that was just how he was, right?
The kind of guy who’d do that for anyone.
Still, his touch that day had felt right. Tonight, it hadn’t. Everything about
what happened on that couch felt wrong—tainted somehow, heavy with guilt and
something she couldn’t quite name. Every laugh, every breath beside him now
felt stained — sweet, but spoiled.
She ran her hands over her face, trying to push the thoughts away, but
they kept circling back, louder each time. The more she tried not to think about it,
the clearer Artemis’s voice echoed in her mind—“I knew I could count on you,
Zee.”
 Zatanna groaned quietly. Right. A promise was a promise. And the longer
she waited, the weirder it would get. Better to just do it now, ask him, get it over
with, and finally put all this to rest.
Before she could talk herself out of it again, she stood up, brushed the dust
from her pajamas, and took a deep breath. The hallway light was still dimly on—
he probably hadn’t gone to bed yet, and she also knew that since Raquel was not
sleeping over, Wally wouldn’t be with Dick in their room. Her heart raced anyway,
but she told herself it wasn’t because of him. It was just… the nerves. The
promise. The mission. That was all.
She stood facing the door, heartbeat quickening. Before she could knock, it
opened — and Dick appeared, surprise flickering in his eyes before he spoke.
“Zee? Is everything okay?”
He blinked once, surprise softening into concern — the kind that made her wish
he’d stayed surprised instead.
“Dick, sorry—could we talk for a minute?” she asked, hating how her voice
faltered halfway through. His eyes widened just a little, taking in her pajama
sleeves, her bare feet.
He blinked once, then the surprise melted into that gentle smile of his.
“Sure. Let’s sit in the living room.”
A public place. Perfect. Safer.
She nodded, trying to mirror his calm, but her lips barely curved. The warmth in
her cheeks refused to fade as she told herself — again — that she could do this.
 10
morf eerht fo sedaps ot owt fo straeh

Dick was fighting his own body. He had barely slept three hours last night,
and the day had felt endless. Every muscle wanted to rest—but he didn’t. He
wanted to stretch this moment a little longer. The day with Zee had felt like a
dream. They’d almost finished their classical literature assignment, then headed
to the cave in his bike to the Cave—he’d been dying to show it to her—and finally
watched that movie together. She had grabbed his hand, rested her head on his
shoulder, and he had to focus hard not to get too excited about it.
Lying awake in his room, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. And Wally
wouldn’t going to get back any soon, would he? Dick wanted to talk to her one
last time, just to say goodnight, because everything had gone so perfectly. Maybe
he’d been wrong all along. Maybe they still had a chance.
When he opened the door, ready to go to her room, she was already there.
She’d wanted the same thing—to be with him just a little longer.
Now, they sat together on the couch. Dick had his feet up on the coffee
table, and Zee’s head was leaning against his chest. It felt good—too good. Like
a moment he never wanted to end. So no, he couldn’t sleep now.
They talked about everything and nothing. She seemed genuinely worried
about Artemis, suspecting that Roy was seeing her sister. It sounded ridiculous,
because wasn’t it obvious? Dick had been keeping an eye on everyone, just in
case, and every time Cheshire disappeared, Red Arrow wasn’t far behind. Their
locations always lined up. Besides, Roy had always had a thing for her—he’d
never said it, but Dick was good at reading people. Most of them, anyway.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about what you told me this afternoon,” Zee said
softly. Her voice carried that same gentleness that always got to him, like she
didn’t even have to try to sound kind — she just was.
Dick’s fingers moved through her hair without him realizing; the motion had
become second nature. The faint scent of her hair lingered, and it made his chest
tighten in a way he didn’t fully understand. Everything felt too easy, too peaceful,
like a dream he didn’t want to wake up from.
“What part?” he asked quietly, trying not to sound as affected as he felt.
She tilted her head up to look at him, eyes catching the dim light. “When
you said it was good for your grief process to have someone who’s been through
the same by your side.”
He blinked slowly, the words pulling him back to that earlier conversation.
“Right. Bruce really helped me the most,” he murmured.
“I think you’ve been that person for me,” she said, and his breath caught.
“Me?” His voice came out softer than he intended, a small, incredulous
smile tugging at his lips. “Wow.”
He wasn’t happy about everything Zee had gone through — far from it —
but hearing that… it hit somewhere deep. It felt like something pure in the middle
of all the chaos. Being that person for her — someone she trusted, someone who
understood — made everything make sense, like this place was always meant to
be his.
“Artemis is my best friend,” Zee continued, shifting just slightly, enough for
her shoulder to brush his chest. His pulse quickened. “But sometimes she just
doesn’t get it. Everything that happened to her family was terrible, and maybe her
situation — having a father who just doesn’t love you — feels even worse than
losing one who did. But you and me…” She paused, eyes meeting his again. “We
didn’t come from broken homes. We came from families full of love. And
everything was taken from us so suddenly.”
 He swallowed hard. She was right. He’d never thought of it that way, but
somehow, hearing her say it out loud made it sound almost… sacred. Like their
pain had built a bridge between them that nobody else could see.
“It’s not that I’m glad about what happened to your family,” she added
quickly, her voice trembling. “No, never. I’m deeply sorry about it. But I’m glad we
met… because you understand me. And you care about me.”
Something in him stilled at that. He wanted to reaffirm that he really
cared— maybe even more than she realized — but the words stuck somewhere
in his throat. So instead, he pressed a kiss against her head, silently hoping she
could feel it anyway.
There was silence for a moment. Dick felt his eyelids growing heavy, the
quiet warmth of the room almost lulling him to sleep — until Zee chuckled softly,
like she had just remembered something.
“What?” he asked right away, curiosity snapping him awake.
“Forget it, it’s a silly thing…”
“Zee, no way,” he said, a small grin forming. “You have to say it now.”
“All right,” she sighed, smiling a little. “But it’s silly.”
She lifted her head to look at him again, teeth catching her lower lip, and
he could already tell it wasn’t that silly. “Do you remember Tuesday night? We
were sitting on the floor, listening to Enjoy the Silence.”
He sure did — every second of it was burned into his memory. He nodded
quickly.
“Well…” Her cheeks started to flush. “When you lifted my chin, I totally
freaked out. I thought you were going to kiss me.”
Okay. Dick was definitely awake now — and in total panic. His mind froze,
like someone had just turned off every working part of his brain. What was he
supposed to say? No, of course not, I’d never do that — that would’ve been totally
inappropriate considering how fragile you were and even in another situation, I
would never have the guts to do it, because I’m a coward. He wanted to say the
truth, all of it, but what actually came out was a mess.
“Ah— eh— I’m sorry about that…” he muttered, rubbing the back of his
neck. “You just had something on your chin, and I, uh… wanted to wipe it off.”
He was an idiot. There was no way she’d buy that.
“Ow, that’s a relief then…” she said, smiling faintly.
 Wait. A relief? Why?
His heart sank before he could stop it. Did that mean she didn’t want him
to kiss her? That she never even thought of him that way? Then… maybe he’d
been right all along. Maybe he really didn’t stand a chance anymore.
“Can I ask you one more thing?”
Dick was still trying to steady himself after the last question, his heartbeat
finally slowing down. But what could he say? He managed a small nod. “Sure.”
Zee smiled again, this time with a hint of mischief, tilting her head. “What
do you do on Tuesdays and Thursdays the whole afternoon?”
Dick exhaled, the sound coming out more like a sigh than he intended. For
a second, he wondered if he should really tell her. But she’d just trusted him with
so much — said he’d been good to her and that she knew he cared about her.
His head was still spinning with those words. It wasn’t a big deal anyway, he told
himself. He could tell her.
“Bruce obligates me to do ballet.”
Zee’s eyes widened, pure surprise lighting her face. “What? Is that it? And
why do you hide it? You said you liked performing…”
“I do,” Dick said, his lips curling into a shy smile. “At the circus, I love being
on stage. As a dancer too, yeah, but… I don’t know. It’s not something I chose
myself. Bruce says it teaches strength, discipline, blah blah blah…” He made a
vague gesture with his hand. “But I don’t really feel like it’s part of who I am —
not like the people in my class, for sure. So only my family and Barbara know
about it.”
The moment the name left his mouth, the air shifted. Zee’s whole body
went still. Her expression froze for a split second before she sat up abruptly,
pulling away from his chest. All right, it was fair enough. He leaned back against
the couch, running a hand through his hair, the weight of the moment finally
sinking in. How could he be so stupid? He had all the words in the world to choose
from—and somehow, he kept picking the wrong ones.
Zee didn’t say anything for a moment. She was staring at the coffee table,
her fingers tracing small circles on her knee, like she was trying to erase the name
he had just said from the air itself. Dick felt his stomach twist; the silence between
them seemed to weigh a little more with each second. He wanted to say
something—to fix it somehow—but every word that crossed his mind sounded
like it would only make things worse.
So he stayed quiet.
“You know, she seems like a nice girl. I’m happy for you both.”
As Zee pronounced those words, there was something in her tone—soft, almost
steady—but it carried a quiet ache that made his chest tighten. Shame crept up
on him, slow and familiar. Hearing her say that, hearing her mean it, felt like a
punishment he’d already given himself a thousand times.
He looked down, his thumb rubbing a nervous pattern against his palm.
“I’m sorry. I was a jerk, I know. To both of you.”
The apology slipped out rougher than he intended, and he let out a sigh that
seemed to deflate him completely. He meant it—every word of it—because she
had been so open with him all along, and he owed her at least that kind of
honesty.
“I’m pretty sure you would’ve been great friends if you had met in any other
situation.”
Zee smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “Maybe
in another life.”
He almost laughed at that—the way it sounded both simple and impossible
at once. But maybe it really was simple, in a way. Dick knew he was probably
saying the wrong thing again, but it was worth the try.
“I mean it. You both are so fierce.”
Zatanna chuckled softly, finally meeting his eyes.
“I really don’t think so.”
She smiled as she said it, but something in the way her body shifted betrayed
her. There was hesitation there, like she was bluffing and knew he could see right
through it.
“You know I don’t support this whole female competition thing,” she went
on, her voice quieter now, “but she has something I used to want so badly, it hurt
just to look at it sometimes…”
Dick frowned, puzzled. What could Babs possibly have that would make
Zee sound like that? As far as he knew, the two barely knew each other. His mind
went through a dozen ridiculous possibilities—maybe Zee liked the guy Barbara
was dating now? That would’ve been almost funny. Almost. Not for him, of course,
because the truth was, he still liked her—deeply, completely, in that quiet way that
hurt every time he remembered he wasn’t supposed to.
He tried to shake the thought off, but curiosity won.
“Uh… what are you talking about exactly?”
Zee rolled her eyes up, like it should’ve been the most obvious thing in the
world. Dick was usually good at reading people, but she was different—always
so unpredictable, so mercurial, so… magic. She smiled then, wide enough to
make every light in the room seem brighter, and said something that, in any other
context, he would’ve taken for a joke. But there was no reason for her to lie.
“I don’t know, maybe her natural red hair.”
It was kind of ridiculous. Ironic, even. But considering the lack of other
explanations, Dick just went with it. Girls cared about hair, right? Probably a lot
more than guys did. Still, it didn’t make sense to him, not when he thought hers
was—well—perfect. And maybe it was because they’d been so honest all night,
but the thought slipped out before he could stop it.
“Why? You have the coolest hair ever.”
The second the words hit the air, he wanted to sink into the couch and
disappear. Nice one, Grayson. Real smooth.
Zee laughed—really laughed—and Dick felt like a complete fool. His
cheeks were burning so much it almost hurt. She reached out and ruffled his hair
with an easy, teasing motion.
“Thank you, Boy Wonder. You’ve got nice hair too.”
He couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from curling up. He loved when
she called him that. The nickname didn’t mean much coming from anyone else,
but when it slipped from her lips, it sounded different—lighter, warmer, like she
didn’t even need to cast a spell to make his pulse race. Suddenly, sounding like
an idiot didn’t seem so bad.
“I mean it,” he said, even though some part of him begged him to just shut
up. “I’m kind of… obsessed with your hair. Don’t get me wrong, not in a creepy
way.”
Her laugh softened, the sound fading into a small, curious smile. She tilted
her head, eyes glinting, like she wasn’t sure if he was joking or confessing. Dick
swallowed, but the words kept coming anyway.
 “It’s so dark that when the light hits it, it turns almost blue,” he murmured,
his voice quieter now. “And it always smells so good.” Her smile didn’t fade this
time—it just lingered, hanging in the space between them. “And the way it falls
over your shoulders…” He hesitated for half a heartbeat, “…it really suits you.”
The air around them shifted. Neither of them laughed.
“Is that… like, too strange? Because I know we kind of have the same hair
color…” Zee cut in, as if he had just said the most absurd thing imaginable.
“No, we don’t. My hair is black.”
“And so is mine?” Hir brow arched, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
“No,” she said, leaning back slightly against the couch, like she was
searching for the right words. “Your hair is dark brown. Really dark, but still brown.
In sunlight, it catches gold tones. If it were black like mine, it would shine a bit
bluish instead, like you just said.”
All right, at least he wasn’t the only paying too much attention to something
as trivial as hair. But yeah, it still caught him off guard.
“I’m literally having an identity crisis now,” he muttered, trying to sound
casual. She laughed again, the sound like a little spark against his skin.
“Yeah, right,” she said lightly, and then—just like that—her lips brushed
against his cheek. Warm, fleeting, and impossibly inviting. Dick froze for a
heartbeat, forcing himself to focus. Ridiculous, really—it was just an innocent kiss
on the cheek.
“Brown really suits you,” she added, a teasing smile lingering on her lips,
and Dick felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward, despite himself.
For a second, there was silence. She leaned closer, her gaze dropping to
his lap, her brows knitting together in genuine curiosity. “What’s that?”
Dick’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t have noticed, right?
Her fingers hovered over the deck of cards tucked in his jeans pocket, and
for a fleeting moment, the world seemed to pause. Everything felt like it could be
fine. Would it be? Because now… what was he supposed to say?
His palms were suddenly slick with sweat, and she watched him
expectantly, excitement sparkling in her eyes.
“Well…” he began, his voice rougher than intended, and he cleared his
throat, trying to steady the shake in it. She got a little closer, the very familiar faint
scent of her hair brushing against his cheek, and his heart stuttered.
 “I… I’ve been practicing something,” he admitted, his hand brushing
subconsciously over his own lap, restless. “I wanted to show you sometime… you
know, since you do magic… and I… I’m a huge fan of magic. And that trick you
did, giving me the record player… I just… I was really grateful.”
The words hung in the air, awkward yet sincere. His stomach twisted with
nerves and anticipation, and he felt a tiny surge of warmth from her gaze. She
didn’t pull back. She just watched, leaning slightly forward, the faintest curve of a
smile teasing her lips. And for the first time that night, Dick felt that maybe, just
maybe, he wasn’t going to trip over his own words completely.
So, as he took the deck from her hands, Dick opened it with a small,
hopeful smile, silently praying the trick would work. “So… pick a card.”
Zee smiled without showing her teeth, tapping her chin with her index
finger as if she were deep in thought. She looked genuinely excited, and Dick
thought that maybe, even if he messed up, the moment itself would still feel
magical. She picked a card and glanced at it.
“Don’t show me. Memorize it, and put it back,” he instructed.
She nodded and followed his directions, kissing her card before putting it
back. Everything seemed to be in place. Dick knew where her card was. He
shuffled the deck the way that one YouTube tutorial had taught him, then handed
it back to her to shuffle as well. When she finished, the stage was set.
“Is this your card?” he asked, lifting the three of spades from the deck.
Zee’s expression held a hint of pity. “No, it isn’t. I’m sorry.”
Dick chuckled. “Don’t be. I already knew it.”
Zee shook her head, confused. “Wait… what?”
“I told you,” he said, sliding her card out from his sleeve as if plucking it
from her hair, “I had reasons to be obsessed with your hair.”
Her eyes widened, and she quickly grabbed the card from his hand, still in
shock. “That’s my card—the two of Hearts!”
It worked. Dick silently thanked whoever was writing his life at that
moment, letting out a deep, shaky breath. His chest felt tight, and his heart was
still racing, but it was a good kind of panic—the kind that made his fingers tingle
and his stomach flutter. “How did you do that?”
The sight of Zee, both shocked and delighted at the same time, made him
want to grin uncontrollably.
 “Girl, you literally do magic, why are you so shocked?”
“Because I use real magic, and you didn’t—I would’ve known if you had.
You just… how did you even put the card in my hair?” She brushed her hair with
her fingers, like she was carefully checking that no other card would fall.
Dick’s fingers itched to reach for her hair, to smooth it behind her ear or
simply brush it off her face, but he held himself back. “You know better than
anyone that a true magician never reveals their secrets.”
Her expression, wide-eyed and incredulous, sent a rush of warmth through
him. Pride mingled with disbelief; he had actually impressed her. His shoulders
relaxed, but only slightly—his heart still pounded as if it wanted to jump straight
out of his chest. Every nerve seemed awake, every little brush of air against his
skin charged with electricity.
The thought that he had truly amazed her made Dick feel a sharp pang of
pride and something softer, almost terrifying—a longing he didn’t quite want to
name. Nothing could top this moment—not the mistakes he’d made in the past,
not the exhaustion pressing down on him, not the endless days of doubt. Right
now, all that mattered was this: he had made Zatanna smile. And in that smile,
Dick felt something like victory, warmth, and maybe… connection, all tangled
together.
As time passed, they kept talking, Zee’s head rested against his chest
again, soft and warm, and every tiny movement of her—the faint press of her
shoulder against him—sent little jolts of awareness through him.
Staying awake felt impossible, yet he didn’t want this moment to end. Each
breath she took, each small sigh, was a rhythm he wanted to memorize. However,
at some point, his body just couldn’t take it anymore.
“We should probably get some sleep,” he murmured, though his body
refused to budge from her embrace.
“We should… but I just don’t want to,” Zee said, lifting her head just enough
to meet his eyes. Her gaze, half teasing, half pleading, made his chest tighten.
“I don’t want this moment to end,” she whispered, and his heart clenched
at the honesty, because he had been feeling just the same.
“Me neither,” he replied softly, his hands unconsciously settling over hers.
The silence that followed was thick, comforting. Her fingers drifted over his
chest again, warm and delicate, and Dick felt the soft weight of her against him,
her hair brushing lightly over his neck, and he thought maybe he could close his
eyes for just a moment, a brief rest, while still holding her close.
Before he even realized it, he was dreaming—not like the other night he
dreamed about her, but a dream in which everything looked blur even that every
touch felt so real. He felt the silky strands of her hair brushing his cheek, caught
between his fingers, carrying the faint scent of her. Her warmth pressed against
him, gentle but insistent, the steady rhythm of her breathing like a silent lullaby.
Every detail was real—the tilt of her head, the curve of her shoulder against his
chest, the softest brush of her lips against his collarbone—and he could have
stayed like this forever, wrapped in the quiet intimacy of her body and the gentle
pull of their shared dream.
“Guys?” a very familiar voice pulled him back to reality. Damn it, Wally.
 11
retsehcoR

As Zatanna opened her eyes, she was met with Wally’s bright grin — he
looked like he was having the time of his life. Her back ached a little, and her neck
felt stiff. She stared at Wally, trying to figure out where she was. Under her neck,
there was an arm that definitely wasn’t hers — but it quickly pulled away as Dick,
who had been lying behind her, sat up.
No way. How had this happened?
Zatanna felt like the dumbest person alive. A wave of moral hangover hit
her, making her feel both stupid and… cheap. Damn it, how did she let this
happen? She had gotten so carried away by the moment — maybe because she
was too sleepy — but that was no excuse. None at all.
Getting the information out of him had been so easy, so why hadn’t she
stopped there? Why didn’t she just say, “Okay, I’m going back to my room, see
you tomorrow”? Why had that moment last night felt so meaningful? Why had she
said so much? And worst of all, why had she let herself rest her head against his
chest — like they were something they weren’t, something they could never be.
Ever.
 She remembered the exact moment Dick had closed his eyes — and she
hadn’t moved. She hadn’t stood up or gone back to her room; she’d just closed
her eyes too. And now here they were, having spent the night on the living room
couch, tangled up together like a couple. Something they would never be allowed
to be — not after all the mess that boy had caused in her life. And of course,
because he had a girlfriend who probably had no fucking idea this had happened.
“I guess… if you’re trying to keep your secret relationship thing, cuddling
in the living room won’t help much,” Wally said, his tone dripping with teasing.
Zatanna felt ashamed — exposed, in a way. Not that she didn’t deserve it;
her own choices had put her in this situation. Still, it was anything but comfortable.
She felt like crying, but she could never do it here, not in front of the boys. So,
she just looked down, wishing she could somehow turn back time and never go
to Dick’s room in the first place.
The guilt was eating her up — not only because of what she had done, but
because when she thought about last night, despite the regret, she couldn’t help
liking the memories. The way Dick had slid her card out of her hair, the warmth
of his skin so close to hers, and that peaceful expression when he finally fell
asleep.
It hurt to think how good they could have been together — how normal last
night could have felt if things were different. She really liked him, and now all of it
was gone. Because he had chosen someone else. Even if he had seemed to
return her feelings last night, Zatanna knew that come Monday at school, Barbara
would be the one by his side. That made him a jerk, of course — but it made her
one too.
“Dude, we were just talking and then fell asleep, no biggie,” Dick said
defensively.
Zatanna wondered if he could tell what was going on inside her. He’d told
her just last night that he was good at reading people, and she’d always believed
that — that he could read every thought in her head, that there was nothing she
could truly hide from him.
“Hey, relax,” Wally grinned. “I’m just messing with you. And no, nobody
saw you, if that’s what you’re wondering — and I won’t tell anyone either.”
Wally winked. It was disgusting. The whole situation was. Zatanna couldn’t
stand it anymore.
 If it was already morning, that meant Batman would be there any minute.
She needed to get ready for the mission anyway. Wally was already rummaging
through the fridge to make breakfast — he always got up early when he stayed
at the Cave because he liked to make Artemis breakfast. It would’ve been sweet,
in any other situation.
Zatanna stood up, straightening her pajamas.
“Hey, Zee.” Dick caught her hand before she could walk away. He was still
sitting on the couch. “Are you okay?”
He sounded like he meant it. But how could he?
In the span of a second, a million thoughts rushed through her mind. There
were so many ways to answer that question honestly — but that wasn’t what Dick
Grayson was getting from her now.
“Sure,” she said, turning to look at him, forcing a nonchalant tone. “As you
said yourself — no biggie.”
Dick’s face, worried just a moment ago, now tensed. His brows furrowed,
his lips parted slightly, like he was about to say something — and that was her
cue to leave before he did.
Zatanna got back to her room to shower, and then spoke to Artemis during
breakfast. The team was already suited up, laughing and talking, while she
leaned closer to whisper in Artemis’s ear that her suspicions had been right.
Artemis didn’t look pleased by the news, but she thanked her anyway. She didn’t
ask how Zatanna had gotten Dick to talk — her eyes just carried a quiet kind of
sorrow.
Zatanna couldn’t quite tell why it affected her so much. Perhaps Artemis
had simply grown too used to living on edge, always tense, always bracing for
the next hit that came with her family. Zatanna knew how deeply she cared for
her sister — and that, she guessed, was what hurt the most. If only love could
fade the moment, it stopped bringing peace.
When everyone gathered in the main room, Batman was already waiting
— tall, silent, and impossibly composed, as if he’d been there for hours. The
briefing was quick and sharp: another Cadmus facility, another lead on the real
Roy Harper. Recon only — unless it got physical. Which, knowing their luck, it
would.
 The team was split into pairs to cover more ground. Zatanna got Artemis,
and that was a blessing. The last thing she wanted was to be anywhere near Dick
right now — and besides Artemis was still carrying too much, maybe she could
take care of her somehow.
The mission itself blurred by in flashes of light and chaos — alarms blaring,
footsteps echoing in sterile corridors, the sound of energy blasts cutting through
the air. What was supposed to be quiet recon turned into another fight for survival,
and before they knew it, they were running back to the Bio-Ship, lungs burning
and adrenaline high.
It wasn’t a complete failure. They’d made it out, at least. But one thing was
painfully clear: Roy Harper’s real body wasn’t there. Not even close.
As soon as they got back to the Cave, everyone who didn’t live there
started heading home. It was barely three in the afternoon, the air still heavy with
that post-mission weariness.
Robin waved at her with an easy grin, the same one that used to make her
laugh without even realizing it. She just nodded this time.
“Hey, I almost forgot—can you come to my place on Monday so we can
finish the assignment?” Dick’s voice held that familiar warmth, the kind that
always made things harder. They did need to finish it, though. The sooner they
got it done, the sooner she could stop pretending everything was fine.
“Sure,” Zatanna said, making sure her tone was neutral.
He smiled anyway. “All right. After school?”
He leaned forward slightly, hesitation in his movements — like he was
about to hug her, or maybe just wanted to. Zatanna stepped back before he could
decide. “Sure,” she repeated, forcing her gaze somewhere near the floor.
Dick froze for a second, something unreadable passing through his
expression — harder to decipher with the mask hiding half of it. Then he nodded,
backing away with a small exhale.
“Great. See you later, then.”
He turned toward the zeta tube, the sound of his boots echoing softly
against the cave floor. She thought that was it — until he stopped just before
stepping inside and looked back. For a second, it seemed like he wanted to say
something else. Maybe to ask why she’d been so distant. Maybe just to stay a
little longer.
 But he didn’t.
The light of the zeta tube swallowed him whole, and the silence that
followed was louder than any goodbye.
The rest of the weekend passed quietly. She managed some homework,
started a new book she was sure she would regret reading, practiced a spell she’d
been tinkering with, and even stole a few minutes to watch the sun dip below the
horizon by the sea. And, of course, spend some time with M’gann and Conner.
She had grown accustomed to their constant chatter and little idiosyncrasies.
Monday arrived with its own tensions. Artemis and Bette had argued again
— Zatanna didn’t fully understand the details, but instinctively she sided with
Artemis. That meant lunch would be just the two of them.
As they stepped into the cafeteria, her eyes immediately landed on Dick.
He was at their usual table, but alone. Not sad, not distracted — something about
him seemed different. He had his headphones on, yet there was a lightness in
his posture, a small energy that made her pause. He didn’t look like he’d been
through a restless weekend — not at all.
She searched for Barbara and found her at another table, laughing with
classmates. That didn’t explain Dick. Zatanna’s chest tightened a little. Had
Barbara and he had a fight? Or had he just chosen to sit alone? The thought that
he might have told Barbara about Friday night nudged at her, sending a flutter of
unease through her. Yet he seemed… normal, almost deliberately so. It was
strange, jarring even, to see him so calm and alert, like none of the lingering
weekend tension had touched him.
Zatanna couldn’t help the quiet pang of longing that rose in her chest. She
wanted to sit near Artemis, to shield her from the undercurrents of the cafeteria,
but part of her couldn’t tear her gaze away from Dick. There was a peculiar
tension there, subtle and unspoken, that made the room feel simultaneously
smaller and impossibly wide. Something in the way he moved, the slight tilt of his
head — it all made her heart squeeze.
When school was over, Zatanna was still worried about Artemis. She would
never speak directly about what bothered her — another thing the two of them
had in common. But Artemis insisted she was fine, and as they headed to the
school exit, she waited for Dick next to Zatanna. He smiled when he greeted the
girls, but Zatanna didn’t return it; she just wanted to get this over with as quickly
as possible. She hugged Artemis goodbye, keeping quiet, and tried to remain
silent during the walk to the car.
In the car, Dick made some small talk, but Zatanna made sure not to
engage. As soon as they entered his room, she focused solely on the assignment.
Still, she couldn’t help wondering why he had had lunch alone that day. Then, he
did something unusual: he closed the door. Zatanna froze for a second. He had
never done that before — every other time she had been to his room, the door
had been open. Why now? Had he even noticed he had done it?
Hours passed, and they finally finished. The last part had been the most
difficult, analyzing the figure of Mr. Rochester, Jane Eyre’s love interest. At last, it
was done. They were ready to present tomorrow. Dick had already printed
everything and saved the presentation to a pen drive. Zatanna began putting her
things back into her backpack, feeling a small relief at the end of the task.
“An asshole, this Rochester…” Dick muttered, still sitting in the same spot,
as if thinking aloud.
“What do you mean?” Zatanna asked, slightly taken aback.
He furrowed his brows. “I meant what I said — he’s a jerk.”
That was… strange. Zatanna blinked, hesitating. Her fingers tightened
around the strap of her bag. She just wanted to end this conversation and go
home.
“The worst part to me was how he tried to make Jane jealous with the
whole Miss Ingram thing and then not being even ashamed of admitting it.”
Dick shifted in his seat, running a hand through his hair. His expression
hardened for a second, like something about the topic hit too close.
What? That was not even close to the worst one.
“Ehh? Not the part in which he literally cheated on his mentally ill wife and
tried to put another woman in her place by lying?”
He leaned back, eyes losing focus for a moment. His jaw flexed.
“Yeah, that one was almost physically painful too,” he said after a pause,
rubbing the back of his neck. “Even more that they ended up together because
now they were equals.”
For a moment, she let herself think he just wanted to make some small
talk — the air between them had been so thick all afternoon that even a
meaningless comment felt like a relief.
“Yeah, not to mention the age gap,” she said lightly. “I mean, she was barely an
adult.”
Dick chuckled softly as he stood up, stretching his arms a bit.
“I really don’t get that sort of thing, it’s just wrong, you know?” he said with an
easy grin. “But as Outfield put it — you know I like my girls a little bit older.”
Zatanna’s smile vanished.
Okay, jerk. Really?
So now he remembered he had a girlfriend.
She crossed her arms, her nails pressing into her sleeves. Her jaw
tightened, but she forced her tone to stay even — anything to keep the
conversation from turning into anything she could regret again.
“I hate how he keeps saying he loves Jane because she is the one who
was his equal,” she said sharply. “Don’t act like you love her — it’s all about
control.”
Dick sighed, lowering his gaze to the desk. His fingers tapped against it in
a nervous rhythm. Zatanna wished she had just grabbed her things and left
earlier, because he seemed genuinely bothered — and she couldn’t understand
why.
“What do you mean by he doesn’t love her?” he finally asked, voice quieter.
“I meant what I said,” she replied, her voice rising. “I really don’t see how
going after a girl who is twenty years younger than you, one of your employees,
with no family or anyone who truly cares about her, just to fulfill your ego because
you made a bad decision about your wife fifteen years ago — how is that anything
close to love?”
Dick’s mouth opened slightly, like he wanted to argue, but no words came
out at first. He pressed his lips together and exhaled slowly through his nose.
“I don’t think you got it.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Got what?”
“The whole point of the book,” he said, straightening up. “I mean, he loves
Jane.”
What did he mean by he didn’t get the point of the book? He was the one
speaking nonsense.
“Excuse me?”
 “He does.” his tone was defensive. “He made mistakes, of course, but he
loved her.”
Zatanna laughed under her breath — a bitter, humorless sound.
“Mistakes? Do you call the whole thing about him literally having his wife locked
in a tower away from everyone and fooling a young girl into marring him a
mistake?”
“Yeah, I know,” he said quickly, pacing a few steps across the room. “It’s
terrible, creepy, really evil — but you said he didn’t love Jane, and that’s not true.”
She stared at him, her chest tightening. She couldn’t believe what she was
hearing. Was Dick seriously defending that? Was he calling her dumb? Her hands
curled into fists.
“I think you’re the one who didn’t get it.”
“People make mistakes,” he shot back, his hands gesturing helplessly as
if trying to grab the right words out of thin air. “It doesn’t mean they don’t care.
Sometimes they care the most and still do dumb things.”
“That doesn’t make any sense!” Zatanna snapped, taking a step closer.
“Why are you defending him? You were calling him an asshole seconds ago.”
He stopped, visibly tense now. His shoulders rose and fell in a shallow
breath.
She froze. Something clicked.
“Wait…”
Dick looked down, rubbing the back of his neck again. His voice was gone,
and so was the earlier confidence. The air between them grew heavier, silence
stretching.
“You’re not talking about Rochester, are you?” she asked quietly.
He didn’t answer. The silence was thick, almost humming. Dick’s shoulders
tensed; one of his hands were still on the desk, knuckles pale.
She really didn’t want to do this, but she had to. “Dick, look—”
“No,” he cut her off, voice breaking before he steadied it. He finally looked
up, and there was something raw in his eyes. “I’m trying my best to figure you
out, because you’ve been acting so up and down with me, and I know I hurt you,
I know I screwed things up, and I hate myself for it.” He ran a hand through his
hair, almost tugging it. “I told you I’m sorry, but I could never put into words how
sorry I am, because I can’t stop thinking about you, and knowing that I hurt you
has been torturing me enough.”
Zatanna’s chest tightened. That was a lot to handle — too much. Her blood
burned under her skin, anger rising like fire. Every word that left his mouth felt
like a spark thrown into it. Her throat ached; her eyes stung. Maybe this wasn’t
the moment for thinking — maybe it was the moment for finally saying everything
that had been trapped inside her for days.
“Stop acting like you still have feelings for me,” she said — her voice
steady, but trembling with rage.
For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. Then a single tear traced down
Dick’s cheek. He didn’t bother wiping it away. His expression wasn’t sad — it was
conflicted.
“How am I supposed to do that,” he whispered, stepping closer, “if I still
have feelings for you?”
He paused, chest rising fast, and looked straight at her. His eyes were gray
today — piercing, desperate. “I’ve been trying so hard to get you out of my head,
but it’s impossible. You’re everywhere. You’re always there. And the way you act
sometimes…” He shook his head, exhaling sharply. “It’s like you feel the same.”
Zatanna laughed under her breath, staring at the floor. It wasn’t
amusement — it was disbelief. How dare he to assume? And how could she
believe a single word he said? A bitter, almost broken sound escaped her lips as
she shook her head slowly.
“Yeah?” she said quietly, her voice sharp as glass. “Then maybe you
should’ve thought about that before kissing Barbara.”
That hit. Dick’s jaw tightened; his hands curled into fists at his sides. His
breath came out harsh, uneven. And then—he snapped.
“I still have feelings for you!” he shouted, his voice breaking halfway
through, raw and heartbreakingly sincere. The words echoed between them, too
loud for the room, too late to take back.
The silence that followed was unbearable. His chest heaved as he tried to
breathe through it, to hold himself together. “I still do,” he said again, softer this
time — almost a whisper.
Zatanna didn’t answer. Her lips trembled, but no sound came out.
 “Yeah,” she said, her tone sharp as glass. “And have you also mentioned
that to your girlfriend?”
Dick’s head snapped up, eyes widening. “What the fuck are you talking
about?”
Zatanna crossed her arms, a humorless smirk curving her mouth. “I’m
talking about Barbara of course,” she spat.
“What?” He blinked, frowning. His voice came out low, almost hurt. “She’s
not my girlfriend. We’ve never been together.”
Zatanna’s breath caught in her throat. The disbelief didn’t fade — but now
it mixed with confusion, frustration, and something else she refused to name.
Dick put his hands to his face, sighing deeply. His shoulders dropped, the
tension from the argument seeming to finally weigh him down.
“Zee, I just…” he started, but his voice faltered. He dragged his palms down his
face and looked at her again, eyes uncertain. “I talked to her the same day —
before I talked to you at the bleachers.”
The words landed like a punch to her stomach. Zatanna felt the air leave
her lungs. That made it even worse.
All this time she’d thought Dick went after Barbara because herself said no to him
— but now it sounded like the opposite. He had gone to Barbara first, and only
came to Zatanna after being rejected. Her chest burned, shame mixing with
anger. She wanted to keep it in, but the tears were already there, spilling before
she could stop them.
“So what?” her voice cracked. “Am I your last option since she rejected
you?”
Dick’s head snapped up. His brows furrowed, confused. “No!” He stood,
pacing once, hands on his hips before exhaling sharply. “Of course not. I told her
I just wanted us to stay friends. That I messed things up because I liked you —
truly, deeply — and I wanted to be with you.”
Her tears kept falling, warm and furious. Maybe there was honesty in his
tone, but now her rage just made every word so hard to trust. “Sorry, Dick,” she
whispered, shaking her head. “But I don’t believe you. Not anymore.”
“Zee…” He stepped closer, but stopped himself halfway, hands open in
defeat. “I’m not asking you to like me back. I just… I had to tell you”. He paused
for a moment, he had his eyes up, like he was trying to hold tears back. “And I
want to know we’re in a good place — that we have peace when we have to work
together, because just being around you already feels too painful.”
She looked up at him, eyes shining with anger, how could he be so fake?
“That will never be possible,” she said, voice trembling. “Because I hate you so
fucking much right now.”
Dick lowered his head, pressing his fingers through his hair like he was
trying to hold himself together. His next words came quieter.
“Look, this past week has been so special to me. And the way you smiled at me
Friday night when I showed you the card — you were happy, truly happy. I just…”
he looked at her, almost pleading. “I just want you to be like that around me again.
And if that’s not possible, then let's a least try keep things cool. We don’t have to
live on edge.”
Zatanna’s stomach twisted. He was right about one thing — he had hurt
her. Deeply. And this whole situation about being put as a second option made
her ever sicker with anger. Now, all she wanted was to hurt him back, just once.
“I wasn’t happy back then,” she lied, her tone icy. “I only went to your room
because I wanted to know about Roy and Artemis’s sister. I only talked to you
because of that.”
Dick froze. For a moment, his expression broke — the kind of look that
begged to believe she didn’t mean it. He sat back down and said nothing, he
didn’t need too, he was hurt, and a part deep down in her heart felt so pleased
about it, so she headed to the door.
Dick caught her hand.
“Wait,” he said — in the saddest tone Zatanna had ever heard.
“Let me get you home.”
How dare he? After everything that had just happened?
Her pulse quickened; anger and heartbreak tangled inside her chest. She yanked
her hand away as if his touch burned.
“Please,” he said, voice trembling, almost breaking. “Let’s just calm down,
and I’ll take you home.”
For a heartbeat, guilt flickered inside her — because he looked shattered.
His eyes were glassy, his voice cracked, his body trembling like he was holding
himself together by sheer will. And realizing he was so broken because of her,
broke something inside her too.
But she couldn’t stay here another second.
“Dick, no.”
“Then I’ll ask Alfred—”
“Dick, just don’t talk to me!”
The words came sharper than she intended, but she couldn’t stop them.
His voice, his face, his tears — it was all pressing down on her, suffocating her.
“I want to get there by myself,” she whispered, but her voice quivered,
betraying her exhaustion.
“How come?” he asked, helplessly, his tone breaking apart like glass.
And then the thought came — reckless, raw, desperate.
Her lips trembled as she spoke the words that would end this moment, even if it
drained what was left of her strength.
“Raeppa ni ym moor.”
The air around her rippled. The floor seemed to tilt beneath her feet.
A dizzying rush of cold magic swept through her chest, stealing her breath, pulling
her under.
Her knees buckled.
Her vision blurred.
And then she was falling — the world twisting, fading, until she hit something soft.
Her limbs were heavy, her skin pale as moonlight. The room she was in —
wherever it was — spun endlessly out of focus.
Moments later, the door burst open.
“M’gann?” she thought, or maybe she said it — she couldn’t tell.
Her friend was kneeling beside her in an instant, eyes wide, panic
spreading across her face.
“Zee! Talk to me!” she kept repeating, voice breaking.
Zatanna tried. She really tried. But her throat refused to make a sound.
And then everything went still.
Dark.
Silent.
Like falling asleep at the bottom of the ocean.
 12
wotrednu

Dick sank a little deeper into the chair, elbows resting on his knees. “When
she said it wasn’t a big deal, I felt…” he knew the right word, but it wasn’t so easy
to say it loud “…jealous, somehow.”
“What do you mean?”
He hesitated, eyes dropping to his hands. “I don’t know. It just felt so big
to me—huge, actually—and the way she just walked away made me think… if
maybe she had done it before. With another guy.” He let out a small, embarrassed
laugh and rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks burning.
Dinah’s expression didn’t change; calm, composed, a practiced kind of
stillness. “Why do you think that thought bothered you so much?”
Dick shifted on the couch, his foot tapping unconsciously. “Because I liked
her so much then.”
She leaned forward slightly. “So… you’d say you don’t like her anymore?”
He looked away, his voice dropping, why therapy was always so
uncomfortable? Bruce had obligated him to get back to it because he said he
wanted to leave the team, which was supposed to have nothing to do with
Zatanna. “I don’t know. I really don’t want to.”
 Dinah didn’t reply, just watched him, the silence long enough for him to feel
it pressing.
“So,” he went on, “after that, she started acting strange. I couldn’t
understand. I thought maybe she was embarrassed that Wally saw us asleep
together—and that he might’ve thought we did something. But we didn’t. we didn’t
even kiss. We just fell asleep on the couch.” He exhaled through his nose, eyes
unfocused. “I thought we’d had a good night. She was talking to me, she looked
happy. And then the next morning, she was… cold.”
Dinah nodded slightly. “And, as you said, you fully attributed her coldness
to the fact that Wally saw you?”
“I tried to,” he admitted, voice cracking a little. “But I knew it wasn’t that. I
just… wanted it to be the easier answer.”
Dick let his mind wander back to that night — the memories he felt so
dumb for holding so carefully in a special spot in his heart. It seemed like it had
happened ages ago, even though it was only sixty-two days before. Not that he
was counting.
He shifted on the couch, fingers tracing the seam of his jeans as if the motion
could anchor him. Dinah was particularly quiet today, and he knew what that
meant: she wanted him to talk.
Sometimes, he wished he could go to a normal psychologist — one where he
didn’t have to weigh every word before speaking — but what good would that do
if he couldn’t even mention Robin? The mask was part of the problem, wasn’t it?
Still, for some reason, in the three sessions they had after he got back, Zatanna’s
name kept coming up.
“Then, on the next day, I wanted to invite her over to finish the Jane Eyre
assignment,” he began, leaning back, “but Bruce said we hadn’t spent time
together in a while, so I told her to come on Monday. He’s always doing that —
vanishing for days and then showing up like, ‘hey, let’s spend some father–son
time’ — like it was my fault or something.”
Dinah tilted her head slightly. “Did you get angry at his suggestion?”
Dick let out a breath, halfway between a sigh and a laugh. “No, I just… I don’t
know. I was curious to talk to her again. I wanted to ask if I’d done something
wrong, what was going on. And I’d decided that if she seemed normal again, I’d
tell her. The whole truth.”
“The whole truth?” Dinah’s tone was soft but firm, guiding.
Dick hesitated. His eyes dropped to the floor; he pressed his palms together.
“That I was still in love with her.”
Dinah didn’t say anything right away. She just nodded slightly, letting the
silence stretch — the kind of silence that makes you hear your own heartbeat.
“And how do you think she would’ve reacted?” she finally asked.
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees again, eyes fixed on the carpet.
“That’s something I couldn’t quite picture at the time. I got… anxious. Really
anxious.” He exhaled slowly, almost smiling at the memory of his own
restlessness. “Bruce and I went hiking that Sunday. We talked a lot — about all
sorts of things — and I ended up telling him about the whole situation with Zee,
from the very beginning.”
Dick paused for a moment, rubbing his palms together as if trying to warm
them. Neither of them had ever been that into hiking, but it had still been a good
moment — even though he hadn’t wanted to go at first. “Bruce told me I should
tell her the truth. He’s not very good at that kind of thing…”
Dinah tilted her head. “Thing?”
“Yeah, you know — giving advice about normal stuff. Guess he’s not very good
at being normal.”
That drew a small smile from Dinah. “He sure isn’t. So, you finished the school
paper on Monday?”
“Yes. The next day she came to my place, and she was… distant.” His
voice softened. “I tried to joke around, but she wouldn’t laugh. She looked nothing
like the girl who had fallen asleep next to me just three days earlier. She seemed
mechanical — I don’t know — like she was hiding something. Like I’d done
something wrong. I panicked, because I was still feeling so bad about the last
time I’d failed her. I couldn’t let that happen again.”
“You mean the moment when you kissed Barbara?”
“Yes,” he said, eyes dropping to the floor. He rubbed the back of his neck,
searching for words. “And then things just got so out of control. It was so stupid.
I was talking about Rochester — Jane’s love interest in the book — and he’s the
worst. We started talking about him, and when she said he was an asshole, that
he didn’t really love Jane because of what he’d done, I don’t know… for a second,
it hit me so hard. Because I did love her, not love, I guess, but you understood. I
knew I’d hurt her, but that felt so small compared to how much I cared for her. I
took it personally — I know that was wrong, again — but I just couldn’t help it. I
couldn’t stand her thinking I did what I did because I didn’t care, because that
wasn’t true.”
Dinah didn’t interrupt. She simply watched him, her expression soft but
steady.
“And why did you kiss Barbara then?” she finally asked.
Dick exhaled through his nose, leaning back on the couch. His hands
fidgeted — fingers tapping against his knee, restless.
“I don’t know,” he muttered. “I got messed up, I couldn’t think. If I had given it
even a minute of thought, I wouldn’t have done it.” His voice wavered. He was
avoiding her gaze. “I was just… carried away. And I know it was wrong.”
He leaned forward again, speaking faster, as if trying to convince himself.
“Zee never told me she liked me, but I knew she did. She never said she wanted
us to be a couple, but I did. So I shouldn’t have done that.”
Dinah didn’t look any more satisfied. She tilted her head slightly, studying
him with quiet precision. “Dick,” she said gently, “I don’t think you’re being honest.”
His brow furrowed. He straightened up, confused. “Of course I am,” he
said, almost defensively. “Why would I lie to you?”
Dinah gave a small, knowing smile — not mocking, but unsettling in its
calm. She crossed one leg over the other and rested her hands on her knee.
“The point isn’t why you’d lie to me,” she said softly. “You have no reason to. The
question is… why would you lie to yourself?”
Dick blinked, stunned into silence. He felt his chest tighten, his jaw
clenching as he looked away.
He wasn’t lying — at least, he didn’t think he was. He believed every word he had
said.
He had kissed Barbara simply because he’d lost control of his life.
Right?
“What I’m saying is,” she continued, probably realizing his confusion, “at
your age, it’s really easy to get carried away by your feelings. But getting carried
away is still a choice, don’t you think? Sometimes an impulsive one, but still a
choice.”
 Dick felt his blood boil. What was this, an accusation? He already knew it
was his fault — no big deal, he’d been telling himself that since day one.
“So why do you think I kissed Barbara then?” he shot back, sharper than he meant
to.
Dinah smiled again in that same composed way, unfazed.
“What I think isn’t important right now,” she said calmly. “We’re trying to figure out
why you think you did it. If you were carried away, the way you said you were,
why did you let yourself make that choice?”
Dick leaned back, his gaze dropping to the floor. The words echoed in his
head — a choice. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling his throat tighten. Maybe
it wasn’t about losing control. Maybe, deep down, he wanted to know what it felt
like. He used to like Babs, before Zee. She was easy to talk to, sharp, funny.
Maybe part of him wanted to live the version of himself that could just fall for her
and not think about the mess he’d made with someone else. It wasn’t just
impulse. It was curiosity. It was escape. It was will.
Dick felt his cheeks flushing ashamed while he admitted “I did it, because
I wanted to”.
“How does it feel to admit it?” Dinah’s tone carried no judgment, which
surprised him. For a moment, Dick just stared at her, unsure how to answer. Then
he let out a dry chuckle.
“It doesn’t feel comfortable, I can assure you,” he said, eyes dropping to
the floor. “Guess, I already knew it, but I didn’t want to say it. Still… I’m so pissed
right now. About everything Zee told me. And it got me thinking— I would never
have kissed Barbara if I knew I’d lose her this badly. It’s just… we were never
officially a couple. I get that she was hurt, but it’s not like I was entirely wrong.
When I told her, I tried to be honest. She’s the one who told me to never talk to
her again. I was hurt too.”
The words burned on his tongue, looping in his mind like static — anger,
guilt, longing, all tangled together until he couldn’t tell where one feeling ended
and the next began.
“I understand what you’re saying,” Dinah replied softly. “That you hadn’t
really set boundaries in your relationship. But let’s try to look at it from her
perspective.” She paused, watching him carefully before adding, “Better yet—
let’s look at it from yours, but under a different light. You just told me you were
jealous at the thought of her having fallen asleep next to another boy. How do
you think she felt, hearing you talk about kissing another girl, after you gave her
reasons to believe you two might become something more?”
Dick swallowed hard, guilt tightening his chest. He opened his mouth, then
closed it again. For the first time, the scene played in his head not through his
own frustration—the way she had looked at him that day, her expression a mix of
disbelief and quiet anger. Maybe his biggest mistake hadn’t been the kiss itself,
but not being completely honest from the start. He should’ve told her the truth
every single time, because deep down, he was sure he’d been as hurt as she
was.
Which meant it wasn’t entirely his fault.
“I understand, and I’m really—deep down—sorry for causing it. But I don’t think
she had the right to treat me the way she did.”
“Are you talking about the argument you had the last day you were working
on the school assignment?”
“Yes, I am.”
Dinah leaned back in her chair. “Okay. You told me you were talking about
the characters in the book—the discussion about whether they loved each other
or not.”
He sank against the couch, shoulders heavy. “Yeah, we argued about that.
But as she talked, I could see she was getting angry. I got angry too. We both
cried. I told her I still had feelings for her, but she didn’t believe me. She thought
I was with Barbara. I realized later that’s probably why she started acting so
strange after we’d… slept together.”
He took a shaky breath. “I told her I've never been, that I liked her, that I
chose her, that I would always choose her, but she just wouldn’t listen. She’d
already made up her mind. She told me she hated me—and looking back, I think
that’s fair enough. But then she said the only reason she’d gotten close to me
again was to find out something about Artemis’s sister.”
His voice broke a little. He blinked fast, but the tears still came—quiet,
unforced, slipping down before he could stop them. “And that’s something I’ll
never forgive,” he said softly. “I was in love with her—truly, deeply. She knew that.
And yeah, I was the one who screwed up first, but I don’t think she had the right
to play with my feelings like that.”
 He stayed there for a moment, breathing unevenly, staring at his hands.
Dinah didn’t move—she just let him sit with it, the sound of his quiet breathing
filling the space where words couldn’t reach anymore.
“So, you had told her, before all that happened, that you were in love with
her?”
Dick tried to recall the moment, but as he already knew… “No. That never
happened.”
Dinah was looking confused now. “Then how would she know?”
Dick’s stomach sank. Dinah’s question hit harder than he expected. His
fingers twitched slightly on his knees, the weight of the silence pressing on his
chest.
“I…” he started, but the words got tangled. The memories replayed in
flashes—moments where he thought his feelings were obvious: the way he
looked at her, the way he always showed up when she needed help, the way he
stayed up just to make her laugh again. It all felt like enough. Like she should’ve
known.
“I thought she could tell,” he finally said, voice rough. “I mean, I wasn’t
hiding it, not really. I thought… she just knew.”
Dinah nodded slowly, still calm. “Sometimes, we think people can see
what’s going on inside of us,” she said, “but unless we say it, they’re left guessing.
And when guessing meets hurt, people tend to assume the worst.”
Dick let out a breath that sounded more like a sigh. He realized then how
much he had expected Zatanna to read his mind—to understand his hesitation,
his guilt, his feeling—without him ever saying a word. And once again he couldn’t
avoid to think which maybe that was the real mistake. Not just what he did, but
everything he didn’t say.
“Right, I realize now, I should have told her — but how would I?”
“I don’t know,” Dinah replied calmly, “but we’re here to figure it out. Not
exactly to imagine how things could’ve been different, but to understand you.”
Dick wasn’t sure how to feel about that. His stomach twisted; he dropped
his gaze to his shoes, rubbing the back of his neck as if the motion could ease
the tension crawling up his spine.
Eventually, Dinah spoke again. “So, after you argued, she cast the spell,
right? I heard this part from the others. You must’ve been worried?”
 Dick froze. His pulse skipped. He hated thinking about that moment.
“Worried?” he echoed, a shaky laugh slipping out — bitter, humorless. “Try
frightened.” He exhaled sharply, running both hands through his hair. “I told her I
could take her home, and while I realized what she’d just said, I—I was terrified.
I prayed I’d heard it wrong. I’d been practicing speaking backwards since we met
— I don’t even know why, I just wanted to understand her better.”
His voice trembled as he went on, eyes unfocused. “And then when it hit
me that she’d said ‘appear in my room’, my heart stopped. She couldn’t have
meant that, right? She told me once she wasn’t ready for teleportation spells, not
yet — not that far.” He swallowed hard, his breath coming shallow now. “For a
second, I thought… I thought she’d died. The room spun. I couldn’t even think
straight. My chest hurt so bad I thought I’d pass out.”
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, gripping his hands together so
tightly his knuckles turned white. “I panicked, but I had to pull myself together. I
called M’gann — I told her what happened — and she’s the one who found Zee,
lying on the floor of her room. When she said Zee was there, breathing… I just—
” he broke off, shaking his head. “I didn’t even tell anyone I was leaving. I had to
go. I had to see her. I needed to make sure she was okay.”
His voice dropped, barely a whisper now. “But she wasn’t.”
“During the days Zatanna was in a coma, I noticed you spent a lot of time
here at the Cave…”
“Of course,” Dick said quickly. “I couldn’t just let her to die alone here. Not
because of me.”
The three days Zatanna spent in a coma felt like living hell. Dick hadn’t left
her side. Bruce was furious that he’d disappeared without telling anyone — but
what else could he have done?
The next morning, he forced himself to go to school. He spoke to Mr.
Harrow, told him Zee had been in an accident. While his classmates gave their
presentations, he sat there, his chest aching at the thought of her fighting for her
life. Artemis didn’t even say hello — and he couldn’t blame her.
He knew magic drained energy, and Zee had cast a spell that demanded
far more than she had to give. Of course it was his fault. It always came back to
that.
 He hated remembering those hours in the Mount Justice infirmary, in which
he would only observe her and dream about her and the sea in the few hours
sleepiness was able to hit him. Red Tornado had stabilized her quickly, and now
she just lay there, motionless, only the steady rhythm of the monitors proving she
was still alive. Dick had wanted to hold her hand, to whisper something —
anything — but the memory of the way she’d pulled away last time, like his touch
burned her, stopped him. She wouldn’t have wanted that.
When she finally began to stir, the first word that left her lips was his name.
For a second, his heart jumped, hope flickering —she saw him, he was sure. He
was the one who called for Tornado, the one who stepped back when she blinked
awake. And once she was safe again, there was nothing left for him to do there.
So, he left the Cave, quietly, his hands trembling and his chest hollow.
“So, you think it was your fault?”
“Who’s else could it be?” he snapped, then immediately exhaled, his
shoulders slumping.
“You offered to take her home. She refused.”
“But I made her that mad,” he said quietly. “She got impulsive because of
me.”
“As we talked before,” Dinah replied gently, “being impulsive is still a
choice.”
Dick looked at her, disbelief flickering in his eyes. It didn’t matter how she
phrased it — he would always feel like it was his fault.
He leaned back on the couch, staring at the floor. “Well, I think it doesn’t
matter now. She’s okay.” He rubbed his palms together, trying to steady himself.
“I asked the teacher if we could present the assignment the next week. She
showed up at school like nothing had happened. We presented. We got an A, by
the way.” He let out a short, humorless laugh. “But something cracked inside me.
She treated me so… cordially. Too cordially. I won’t lie — it still hurts. This whole
thing of her getting close just to get information about something she could’ve just
asked for? I don’t get it. But at the same time, I just feel so damn guilty about
everything.”
He hesitated, eyes distant now. “Then came the finals and my ballet
presentation and I just— I don’t know. I didn’t want to be part of the team anymore.
I guess that’s why we’re here.” His voice softened. “I asked Batman to take me
off missions with the team and he agreed, I was really surprised by it. Then we
went on that Middle East op we talked last week, the dynamic duo against Ra's
al Ghul again”. Dick chuckled on the memories, it had been a good time, besides
finding out Bruce was really having an affair with Talia. “I thought — and I guess
he thought too — that when we came back, I’d have forgotten her. And I would
have abandoned the idea of leaving the team. That I’d feel better.”
He shook his head slowly, his voice breaking into something fragile. “But I
didn’t. It’s hard to explain… I just don’t wanna do it anymore.” His hands fidgeted
in his lap, twisting together as if trying to hold himself together. “I know it sounds
like some teenage drama — Alfred and Bruce said the same when I tried to talk
to them — but it’s like…” He rubbed his eyes, his throat tightening, searching for
the right words. “It’s like I’ll never be able to forget it. Forget everything I caused
her. Forget her. Because she’s always there. Even when she’s not.”
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, his voice dropping to a whisper.
“I was on the other side of the world, and still, all I could think about was her.” He
exhaled shakily, glancing down at his hands again. “And then three weeks ago,
Bruce said he wanted me back in therapy — that there was no point in quitting
the team I helped build because of a girl. But it’s not just a girl. It’s Zatanna.”
He swallowed hard, the words spilling out faster now, like he was afraid
they’d choke him if he stopped. “And it’s not even because of her — it’s me. My
thoughts just get so tangled sometimes, like physically tangled inside my head.
They pull me in every direction — good possibilities, disastrous ones — and I
wish I could just stop thinking for a while.” He looked up at Dinah, his eyes glassy.
“Is that… normal?”
“Well, Dick, I believe it’s part of your diagnosis of giftedness. That type of
thought is really common among people with this condition. We call it Divergent
thinking.”
Dick’s blood boiled. He hated that diagnosis so much. He didn’t feel like a
gifted person — not at all. In fact, sometimes he felt so dumb he could never be
normal. He didn’t like talking about it because, as the name suggested, most
people believed it was a gift, but it sure wasn’t. Besides this way of thinking, there
were so much more non gifted thing about it.
Starting by his “super” memory. There were so many things he tried so
hard to forget, but the more he tried, the more his brain made sure to carry every
single detail forever. Remembering was a prison, an undertow, pulling him down
and down to his own personal hell. And he couldn’t believe how some people
thought that those with this diagnosis could be a gift in any way. And in his case,
specifically, there was the worst of all:
“Yes, of course, you, my teachers and my neurologist believes I could skip
sophomore year, which maybe would put me in her class too — really helpful,”
he said, rolling his eyes, but Dinah smiled.
“Right. I know you are still cranky about your diagnosis topic, so maybe we can
try it again another day.”
“Thank you.” It was the first time he’d felt glad about anything during the session.
“So, about this feeling you mentioned — that she’s always around — do you think
it has anything to do with the dreams you mentioned last week?”
That wasn’t exactly much better, but it was still better.
“Right… the dreams…”
 13
thgilrehtaef yrtsimehc

Zatanna had been missing Artemis terribly that summer. Not that they
weren’t seeing each other — they were — but not every day felt like not enough.
And, honestly, sharing your best girl with a cheesy, overly attached boyfriend
wasn’t exactly ideal. Luckily, Wally had gone on vacation with his family for a few
days, which meant more time for her and Artemis to do what they loved most:
speeding through Gotham on their motorcycles, chasing trouble like it was a
game.
Gotham was Batman’s territory, sure, but the city was big enough for
everyone — or at least that’s what they told themselves. He’d been out of town
for two weeks right after the beginning of summer break, leaving them free to
have their fun. Now he was back, though, and somehow every “simple issue” left
to the duo still had a way of turning into chaos.
Wally was coming back that night, and by tomorrow everyone would be at
the beach. That made the evening feel special, the last summer night when
Artemis would be entirely hers, no endless messages buzzing from her overly
clingy boyfriend. Not that Wally wouldn’t still text, but at least the trip had kept him
distracted.
When Zatanna laid her head on the pillow, she felt something rare: peace.
She was happy — happy with her life, with herself. Things had been hard, yes,
but she was healing. She knew some feelings would never truly fade, but she
was learning to live with her heart at ease.
Still, that night, she dreamed again — a dream she knew too well. There
had been others like it: always a beach, always Mount Justice, always a figure
she tried not to think about. At first, she worried these dreams might mean
something, some echo from the astral plane. But that couldn’t be true, could it?
Because she didn’t care about Dick. Not anymore. And she was fine with
everything that had happened. There was no connection left between them —
maybe there had never been one to begin with — so there was nothing left to
echo.
And yet, the dream kept returning. Not identical each time, but close
enough to feel like the same memory replaying itself. The beach stretched before
her, the sand shifting beneath her feet. Sometimes they were sinking through it;
sometimes they were in the water. When it was the sea, she could still see the
sand beneath — everything hazy, unreal, dreamlike. But when Dick touched her,
it felt different. Too real. The kind of touch she hated to remember from real life.
And every time she could feel it, really feel it, the dream would crumble — their
bodies sinking into the dark mix of water and sand, pulling her under until she
woke up gasping.
Zatanna remembered that Mr. Harrow had once mentioned how the sea
often represents the unconscious in literature — with examples like The Odyssey,
Moby Dick, and The Old Man and the Sea. She liked the thought that maybe her
own unconscious was trying to drown Dick so deep that he’d never rise back into
her thoughts again. It was working, in a way.
They hadn’t really talked after that afternoon when she had almost killed
herself. It had been reckless, and it was her fault, of course. Artemis said he had
stayed by Zatanna’s side while she was in a coma, but he never said a single
word about it. Zatanna knew it was true, though, because she had a vague
memory of seeing his face during the slow process of waking up. She couldn’t
quite understand why he had stayed, and sometimes she thought about saying
thank you — because she had been terrified when she realized what she had
done — but her pride would never allow her to do that.
In the week that followed, she was still hurt. Apparently, he had been telling
the truth about never having dated Barbara, and during the last weeks of school,
Barbara was always with a boy from her class. Zatanna saw Dick at school only
a few times, most during classical literature classes, as if he were avoiding her
— but she was avoiding him too, so it wasn’t like she cared.
Then, at the beginning of summer break, Boy Wonder disappeared from
the team’s missions and trainings. Artemis said that Wally told her Dick had gone
to the Middle Eastern for some “Dynamic Duo” thing with Batman, and after that,
she hadn’t seen him again. Which actually felt great. She was getting over him
— except for the dreams.
Something strange about those dreams was how clear they felt. It wasn’t
the way one usually thinks inside a dream — foggy and slow. It was sharper, more
deliberate, as if she could think too much, more vividly than a dream should allow.
And the Dick in her dreams wasn’t exactly like the one in real life — that’s what
she kept telling herself whenever she woke up. Because the one in her dreams
could still pull her in, could still trap her with that disarming charm, and that was
something she swore she’d never let happen again.
This time, they were in the sea. The water reached her neck, cool and
heavy, but she could still feel the shifting ground beneath her feet. The horizon
stretched endlessly, painted in muted silver light.
“Hey, Zee! Haven’t seen you in a while!” His voice came from her left, light
and warm, carrying that familiar teasing note. When she turned, he was there —
smiling, bright-eyed, like nothing bad had ever happened between them.
“Hi, Boy Wonder.” She tried to match his tone, forcing a small smile. There
was no reason to be cold to this Dick — he wasn’t real, after all. He couldn’t hurt
her.
“I missed you,” she admitted softly, surprised by how easily the words
slipped out, as if her heart spoke before her mind could stop it.
“I miss you too,” he said, the words leaving his mouth softer than the waves
brushing her shoulders. “I was talking about you today, in therapy, actually.”
Her brows furrowed. “You’re in therapy?”
He nodded, looking somewhere beyond her, where the horizon blurred into gray.
“Yeah. I realized I should’ve done everything differently. I keep thinking... if I could
just go back, I would tell you how I feel, since the very beginning.” It made sense.
“I wish I had told you the truth.”
The wind was howling, and the sun hung high above them, spilling a warm
shimmer across her skin. The water swayed with every slight movement she
made, carrying ripples toward him. Dick was so close now that she could feel his
presence in the air itself. The light caught in his wet hair, his eyes reflecting the
sea — he looked so unreal, like some kind of magical fragment surfacing from
deep within her unconscious.
“You know,” he said softly, “I remembered something during therapy. When
you were asleep... I got terrified. I stayed with you, and I wanted to hold your hand
so badly.” Zatanna couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from lifting at his words.
“Why didn’t you? It’s not like I would’ve woken up to stop you.”
“Yeah,” he said, with a half-smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “That’s exactly
why I didn’t. I wasn’t sure if you would’ve wanted it.” It was almost sweet, in a way
that hurt more than she wanted to admit.
Zatanna liked to imagine it was true — that maybe this dream-version of
Dick was only saying what the real one never had the courage to.
“Thank you,” was all she managed to say. It was simple, but it carried the weight
of how she truly felt.
He drifted closer, slow enough that she could hear the water parting
between them. His voice dropped, almost a whisper brushing against her ear.
“Can I hold your hand now?”
She laughed softly, pulling back just a little. “You’re so cheesy. I can’t
believe you’re actually asking me this.” She shook her head, glancing down at
the water rippling between them. “Besides, if you touch me, we’ll be out of here.
You know that’s true — it’s happened all the times before.”
He chuckled, the same crooked grin she remembered too well curling on his lips,
his blue eyes flickering with that mischievous light that once made her fall for him
so hopelessly.
“I guess one second of touching your skin is worth the try.”
Before she could answer, he reached for her hand. His fingers brushed
against hers — a touch barely there, featherlight, but it sent a pulse through her
skin, through her chest, through everything. The sea stirred violently around
them, the waves curling and twisting, pulling their feet away from the ground.
He smiled at her one last time — that same sad, knowing smile that used
to break her heart — and whispered something she couldn’t quite hear. Then he
was gone.
When she woke up, her pillow was damp with sweat, her chest tight like
she had really been holding her breath. For a few seconds, she stayed still,
staring at the ceiling, trying to remember what he had said — but all she could
recall at first was the warmth of his hand and that look in his eyes, just before the
sea took him away again.
It was already seven, and they had agreed to go to the beach before the
sun got too high — which meant everyone should be around by now. Zatanna
took a deep breath. What was even the point of getting up this early during
summer break? She had voted for a late afternoon trip to the beach, around four,
but everyone had acted like she was being ridiculous.
Fine. She could do this. She and Canary had been working so hard on
keeping her from getting isolated — because, apparently, depressed people
weren’t allowed to do that. And she was doing great, really, her friends were
helping the most. Recovering. Healing. Keeping steady.
So, she put on her bikini, threw on her best beachy outfit, and headed for
breakfast. And she was right: everyone was already there — except for Wally, of
course. Always late. Just the usual. And Dick, but he sure wasn’t coming, since
he hadn’t been around for what felt like forever.
Artemis seemed particularly excited, as well as Raquel. M’gann mentioned
they had gone to the beach almost every day last summer, but this was the first
time this year everyone would manage to go together.
Breakfast went smoothly. The girls couldn’t stop talking about The Vampire
Diaries; the season finale had aired over a month ago, yet they were still
theorizing wildly about what would happen next. It was a good show — not as
amazing as they made it sound, but still good. Connor and Kaldur were lost in
some other conversation that Zatanna didn’t care enough to follow.
The cheerful chatter was suddenly cut off by the Zeta-tube voice:
“Recognized: Kid Flash, B-0-3.”
Alright, that meant they were ready to go.
 “Recognized: Robin, B-0-1.”
No way. Every teenager in the room froze for half a second, exchanging
quick, wide-eyed looks before rushing to the main room. It had been almost two
months since they’d last heard that name announced.
Wally stood there in his usual careless pose.
“Sorry I’m late! Had to stop by Gotham to drag this vampire out to get some tan,”
he said, ruffling Dick’s hair.
Dick let out a short laugh — or something that looked like one. Zatanna
noticed the exact moment his eyes met hers. There was a flicker of something
there, too many emotions packed into a single glance for her to read.
Raquel was the first one to ran and hug him, then came the others, even
Artemis — who used to claim she hated him — wrapped her arms around him for
a second after let go off the arms of her boyfriend.
But Zatanna didn’t move.
When he finally turned to her, she only gave a small nod. He nodded back,
quietly, before the room filled with voices again.
The morning at the beach felt normal — or as normal as it could possibly
be in the heat of Rhode Island, it had been so hot lately. Zatanna decided she
would simply ignore Dick’s presence. Easy in theory, much harder in practice,
especially when he kept glancing at her and looking away the second she caught
him. Not that she would ever admit, but she had been caught doing the same
once or twice.
Still, something about him seemed different. Older — though not in a way
a few weeks apart could explain. Maybe taller too? She was almost sure of it now,
because he used to be a bit shorter than her, apparently not anymore. His hair
was shorter, messier, like he’d just gotten a fresh cut, and there was something
about the way he carried himself that made her chest tighten for reasons she’d
rather not name.
And when he took his shirt off— well, that was unfair.
Her cheeks warmed up immediately, though she quickly looked away, pretending
to be focused on the waves. It wasn’t like she was staring, of course. Not like him.
She didn’t care that he was taller now, or stronger, or— okay, maybe a little. But
it was probably all in her head.
 By ten, the team was already split for a volleyball match, two against two.
The boys were playing, shouting and laughing, while the girls sat nearby, chatting
under the umbrella.
Zatanna loved them — each in their own way. M’gann, with her endless
optimism and warmth; Raquel, fierce and unfiltered; and Artemis, her best friend,
her anchor through every storm.
They were talking about The Vampire Diaries again, debating who Elena
should end up with, and sharing plans for the rest of the summer.
For a brief moment, everything almost felt simple again.
Until Raquel popped the question.
“Can we talk about the elephant in the room?”
She said it with that dramatic tone like she was about to reveal a state
secret, the kind that could get someone killed just for knowing. The girls leaned
in, curious, nodding for her to go on. Raquel glanced around, lowered her voice
just a little, and said:
“When did Boy Wonder get hot?”
Artemis immediately pretended to choke, throwing her hands up and
making the most disgusted face she could possibly manage. “Oh, come on,” she
groaned.
M’gann burst out laughing so hard she almost fell off, and Raquel joined
in, clearly proud of herself.
Zatanna laughed too — maybe a bit too quickly — trying to hide the way
her stomach tightened at the question. Her gaze drifted to Dick. He was focused,
movements sharp and precise as he jumped to catch the ball midair. The sun
caught on his skin when he landed, tracing the lines of his arms as he pushed
the shades back into place and flashed Wally a quick, easy grin. There was
something different about him — and it was not only in her head, since Raquel
had also noticed. He glanced in her direction, and before she could stop herself,
she looked away, pretending to find something very interesting on the ground.
“You can’t be serious, that’s so gross,” Artemis said between laughs. “He’s
like… I can’t even think of anything to compare that to.”
“Yeah, Raquel,” M’gann said once she caught her breath, “I really don’t
think so. Guess you’re on your own with that one.”
 Raquel’s tone was still light.
“Okay, you’re both committed, I get it, but hear me out—he wasn’t like this the
last time I saw him. There must be something different in Middle Eastern water.”
M’gann and Artemis kept laughing like she was saying the most absurd
thing. M’gann even remarked that she could never see him that way, since they
had such a sibling-like relationship—and Zatanna knew Artemis would probably
say the same if she weren’t there.
“Well,” Raquel continued, “I know my girl Zee agrees, because she’s been
so quiet.”
The words caught Zatanna completely off guard. Had Raquel noticed
something?
“What, me?” she gasped, but managed to pull herself together. “No way! I mean,
we are so over. I barely even looked at him today, so I noticed nothing” she said,
wearing the biggest smile she could manage.
“Okay, I get it, you’re over him—but you still have that chemistry.”
What was that supposed to mean? What exactly was that chemistry?
M’gann nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Zee, she’s right.”
What the hell? Zatanna looked at Artemis, hoping for some backup from
her friend.
“I hate to admit it, but that’s true,” Artemis said. “You do have chemistry
together. I mean, you used to be cute.”
Zatanna gave a half-smile. “Girls, you’re the worst.”
“We can be the worst,” Raquel teased, “but you can’t deny you still have
that chemistry.”
“Gosh, you’ll never stop making fun of me for kissing a guy once, won’t
you?” she said in a light tone. They were her girls, after all—guess teasing was
part of their friendship.
M’gann frowned slightly. “I’m pretty sure I saw you making out in some
corner at your birthday. That’s a lot of chemistry…”
All right, it was true—they had kissed three times. What was the big deal,
anyway? It was not like she was obligated to tell it, she hadn’t told almost anything
about Dick, she surely had told no one but Black Canary about their argument
that result in her casting the teleport spell, the girls though she was just making
a test that had gone wrong, but that was not something to think about it now.
 “What is that chemistry anyway?” she asked, then added something she
was pretty sure was true: “I don’t even like him anymore.”
Artemis made an exaggerated “oooh” face, like she was hyping the drama.
“Girl, that’s only make it worse.”
How annoying it was that Artemis had gone so soft on Dick just because
he’d stayed in the infirmary during Zatanna’s coma. It wasn’t like that changed
what he’d done before.
“Worse?”
“Yeah, she’s totally right” Raquel said, “unfortunately. If you say you don’t like him
anymore, that increases your chemistry by at least two hundred percent.”
She said it jokingly, but somehow it still sounded serious.
“You guys are just teasing me. I told you we’re over—I kind of hate him, actually,”
she said in a proud tone.
M’gann chuckled. “Well, if you hate him, it’s up to five hundred percent at
least.”
The girls laughed and gave M’gann a high-five. Why was everyone against
Zatanna now? They couldn’t be serious.
Artemis seemed to notice her embarrassment. “Zee, don’t get us wrong. I
know how much you hate him, but those things aren’t exactly related.”
Raquel kept going, “Yeah, don’t take us so seriously, but if you two got
trapped in the same place for more than an hour and I had to bet on whether
you’d make out or not, I know I wouldn’t lose my money.”
Zatanna rolled her eyes, but fortunately, she had the perfect comeback for
that one.
“Yeah, neither would I if it were you and him, since you were the one who called
him hot in the first place.”
The girls went “oooh” before bursting into laughter, like she had gone too
far, but Raquel laughed too, saying it was fair enough. And maybe Raquel was
truly interested in Dick — things with Kaldur hadn’t exactly ended well, after all —
and Zatanna was fine with that. She was fine with that. Raquel could like Dick; it
wasn’t as if she cared, or had any reason to feel jealous. Still, the thought sat
oddly in her chest, uneasy and out of place. Picturing the two of them together
felt strange, almost wrong, though she repeated to herself once more that she
didn’t care.
 All the noise suddenly quieted as they realized the very topic of their
conversation was approaching them. Dick rubbed the back of his neck — the way
he always did when uncomfortable — and looked straight at Zatanna.
“Uh… Batman wants to see us now.”
He had the bracelet she knew it was Robin’s computer, so Batman had
probably just sent a comm. But why?
The girls started moving, ready to stand up, but Dick added, “Just me and
Zatanna.”
His voice was firm, and now one more question filled her head — why both
of them? And why just them?
Zatanna shrugged and stood up, grabbing her skirt and top as she followed
him, getting dressed as they walked toward Mount Justice.
They walked side by side without exchanging a single word. When they
reached the entrance of the cave, Dick slipped his shirt back on — and as he did,
his arm brushed against hers, a touch barely there, featherlight, but it sent a pulse
through her skin, through her chest, through everything. It wasn’t just warmth; it
was a spark, a ripple that spread from that single point of contact and set her
heartbeat stumbling.
For a split second, the world around her seemed to quiet, and all she could
think of was the dream — the feeling of his presence so close it felt real. His skin
had that same magnetic pull, like it was calling to something deep inside her she
had tried so hard to silence. Her cheeks burned before she could stop it.
He didn’t look at her, but she caught the faintest trace of red coloring his
face too.
When they reached the main room, Batman was already waiting — the
same unreadable, no-nonsense expression that carried his entire aura.
“Suit up,” he said in that usual low voice that always made Zatanna sure
they were in trouble.