ic contact

[asterbatics]

 

"Your call has been forwarded to an automatic message system.
ROBIN is currently unavailable.
Please leave your message after the beep—"

BEEP!

Comments

[backwordscompatible]

[She gave a casual shrug. It had seemed like the most obvious choice. Even if he'd foregone wearing it during his last days, it was still important to him. And no less valuable in a world where resources were scarse.]

Never hurts to keep a spare blanket handy.

[...she made it sound like a joke, but the truth was that had been exactly what she'd done. Wrapping it around herself at night for the first few weeks after. Like it would make up for the sudden loss of body heat and a familiar presence beside her.]

[asterbatics]

[ it hadn't even been so much that he didn't want to wear it. he just knew that the fabric of it was too high tech, too special, to have the chance of snagging or being lost just wearing it around. fire-proof, bullet-proof, heat and cold resistant, there were so many more uses for it - more uses for more people.

he couldn't be selfish. ]

I hope it wasn't too short. [ it hurts something in his chest thinking about how that was the only thing she had left of him. ten months, where all she had was this cape. his face falls a little at the thought, turning back to the cape in his lap. ]

I'm sorry, by the way. [ a breath. ] I mean, not that I had any choice in it, but- it still sucks, and I'm still sorry.

[backwordscompatible]

[There were so many height jokes she could have made in that moment. Any one of them, he'd've brought on himself. With a comment like that? Knowing her the way he did? Completely his fault.]

[Except...before her tongue could even form the words...he continued on. Apologizing. For something that wasn't even close to being his fault. Something she had never once blamed him for. Oh, she had tried. Being angry was a lot easier than having to fight the urge to cry herself to sleep. Being angry fueled her, gave her a purpose for getting up and letting off as much steam as she could.]

[She had never managed to get angry enough.]

Tell you what. I'll make you a deal.

[The look on her face--a genuine smile, with hints of humor behind that glimmer in her eye. He would know it well.]

I'll considering forgiving you this time, if the next time...we get to leave Haven together.

[Not necessarily go home, because there were repercussions and all sorts of consequences to that she wasn't quite ready for. Not a promise, because that was one neither of them had any power to make. A joke. Or, at least, a partial joke. She had already forgiven him, and by implying that they were still a Team in whatever way they could be...she just wanted him to know that much.]

HTML WHYYYY

[asterbatics]

[ there are definitely more height jokes than are even possible to be mentioned here. but there's also something to say about knowing when is the time for height jokes, and when is not the time, and zee had always been pretty perceptive.

because he knows what would have happened if their roles were reversed. he knows where he would have gone, and what would have happened. it might not be his fault, but it feels like it should have been, somehow. like going and coming back were as simple as waking up in the morning.

he wants her to have been angry at him, because at least he knows how to deal with anger. he knows what to do with that. but when they're somewhere in the middle? with rob feeling responsible despite no one actually blaming him for anything? it eats away at him.

and then there's zee, perfect zee, who says i'll make you a deal and he looks up to see that smile. the kind of smile he has no power to resist copying. it's not as genuine, not as bright, but it's there. and sure, there are issues with what she's proposing. like how when it all comes back to it, neither of them have any way of saying yes or no, but rob sighs anyway. ]

Okay, deal. [ because maybe she's not mad at him, and maybe he still hasn't gotten past that curling in his gut, but they're a team - together or not - and that is never going to change. ]

[backwordscompatible]

[In hindsight, she probably should have asked first.]

[Zatanna had always been a physically affectionate person. Even as a child. Whatever stiffness Giovanni may have presented to the general public, behind the scenes...okay, no, he had still been just as stiff. But also warm and loving. In his own way. Never once had she been starved for affection. Hugs. Cheek or forehead kisses. Daily methods for the Zataras when it came to expressing their feelings.]

[Even in Haven. A good percentage of her friends were the same way. Even the Supers--no, especially them. Conner perhaps less so, but Kon compensated enough for the both of them. And Kal was never without his warm, strong hugs when they were needed most, or even simply wanted.]

[So when Zatanna leaned in to lightly wrap her arms around Robin, intending to rest her chin against his shoulder, she hardly thought twice about it. The gesture was so instinctive to her, it would have felt strange not to hug him.]

I'm really glad you're back.

[Come what may, he was one of her best friends and always would be. Getting to see him again...it almost made all the complicated mess worth it.]

[asterbatics]

[ she probably could have, if she wanted to.

but the truth of the matter is, robin is in a constant state of questioning just where his line for physical affection should lie. before his parents' death, there was almost too much of it - everyone in haley's circus were very physically affectionate, ever since he was born. touch was never something he was starved for, even in the slightest. it was an extreme change when they died and he was adopted by bruce - the extent of his affection a small smile and a pat on the shoulder.

dick wasn't a child, which was why he never allowed himself to miss it. he knew that in bruce wayne's world, physically affection wasn't something that was passed around like words - his attention, his pride, was enough for dick to live with. even if he ended up being the one to wrap his arms around his adoptive father.

dick grayson had been born a physical child, but had grown through an affectionately-starved life. when it came to his friends, he was always fighting that balance - wally a person he could easily be affectionate towards, as if his dna make-up matched up in that way. his other teammates were more complicated, but zatanna? with zatanna it was as easy as it had been with wally - holding hands, bumping shoulders, turning to line up against her when they had gotten into the habit of sharing their bed.

maybe that's why he doesn't even question it, when she leans in and wraps her arms around him. he doesn't even think twice when his face drops down to her shoulder too - falling almost too easily back into the warmth of her arms. he's going to miss this more than anything, he realizes a bit belatedly as he wraps his own arms around her middle, squeezing maybe a little too tightly at first.

rob huffs out a laugh, though it's soft and a bit tired, and he doesn't loosen the hug in the least. ]

Me too. [ because he can't really bring himself to say 'i'm glad i'm back' when he doesn't ever remember leaving. but after seeing what it must have done to zee, seeing how much better she looks - relieved, happy almost - he can be glad for that. ]