Author Notes: This is the second fanfiction that I'm uploading, so I hope you enjoy it. It's my idea of how the beginning of Episode Eight of Young Justice: Invasion should happen. Please enjoy and review.
Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice. It belongs to DC Comics and Cartoon Network.
Do You Remember When It Was Simple?
"What are you doing here?" Nightwing asked, unamused, as Zatanna appeared in the Cave's main Zeta Tube.
"You're lacking a few teammates." she answered, "I thought I'd fill in."
She stepped out of the Zeta Tube and gracefully walked toward Nightwing in the center of the room.
"We're not lacking anything." he said, focusing on her blue eyes. He noticed that he was at least an inch or two taller than her even though she was wearing heels.
"Don't lie to me, Dick." she replied, with a slight shake of her head.
She used his real name. She didn't do that often, but when she did, it meant something. It meant she cared. It meant she wanted him to listen. It meant she was really talking to him.
He couldn't let that faze him, though.
This wasn't her fight. This wasn't her battle. This wasn't even her team.
He wasn't going to just let her bat her eyelashes and go on a mission that could get her killed.
"I'm not lying." he said, "We have the whole team on hand."
She rolled her eyes and sighed, "La'gaan got captured. M'gann went to try and rescue him before you could stop her and she took Beast Boy along as backup."
Nightwing wasn't surprised that she knew all of that – the League always knew everything – but he had hoped that it would be easier to keep her away from the mission.
He crossed his arms and silently stared her down.
"Three's not enough?" Zatanna continued, "Fine. Batgirl's off patrolling Gotham because Batman's on another planet. That brings us up to four missing team members. And what about Conner? There's no way he's gonna be able to concentrate on the mission. I'm surprised he hasn't already run after M'gann to make sure she doesn't get killed."
"He tried. I ordered him to stay here." Nightwing replied flatly.
Zatanna smirked slightly as she said, "So, that leaves you with Bumblebee, Wondergirl, Robin, Blue Beetle, and a distracted Superboy. Not exactly the A-Team."
"We work with what we've got." he stated.
"Well now you've got me." she said before adding quietly, "Besides… everyone's still a little shaken by… by what happened to Artemis. You need as many allies as you can get right now."
Nightwing sighed and uncrossed his arms.
"Okay," he replied, "Maybe we're a little short; but what makes you think you'd be my first choice for backup?"
"Well…" she began, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
"Don't." Nightwing cut her off.
"What?" she asked innocently.
"Don't bring our shared pasts into this."
"I would never." she promised.
Nightwing rolled his eyes.
"Besides our history, there are a few other reasons why you need me." Zatanna said, "I have more experience in the field than Wondergirl, Blue Beetle, and even Robin put together. Magic is pretty useful when you don't exactly know what you're up against. And all the other heroes are occupied."
"You're a League member, Zee." Nightwing sighed, "This is a Team mission."
"I was on the Team for years, Dick." she replied, taking a step toward him, "I know how these missions work. I know how you run this team."
"Why are you really here?" he asked, "You never call me by my real name unless it's not all business. So, what's up?"
"I wanted to help." Zatanna said sincerely.
Then she took a step closer and stood on her toes. She put one hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, as if she was afraid someone else might hear, "And I wanted to see you."
She moved away from his ear and took a step back to look at him.
Nightwing looked into her glittering blue eyes and understood. They hadn't seen each other in months, not since the meeting at the Watchtower with the rest of the League. They hadn't been able to talk then or since because Krolotean attacks kept getting in the way.
He reached out and brushed her hair behind her ear.
"I missed you, too, Zee." Nightwing said quietly.
When they touched, both their minds flashed back to their breakup. It wasn't exactly a bad memory. There was no screaming, no crying. It had been a mutual decision.
But even after they both said it was over, it didn't exactly end.
They would meet up for lunch or to go see a movie. They would say they were 'just friends' hanging out together, talking about work or enjoying a day off. But then they would smile silently across the table at each other or their hands would touch in the darkness of the theater. And in those moments, when they were among other people, there was the faintest glimmer of the old relationship; a glimmer that was hard to see in a crowded restaurant or a pitch black movie theater. Places full of couples and friends and two people who were both.
Then there were the moments when it had never ended.
The quiet moments when they we were alone but not lonely. The stolen kisses in dark hallways. The few times she would see his deep blue eyes. The moments without the masks.
These were the moments when truly they regretted the breakup.
They'd both thought it was the right thing to do at the time.
They were going their separate ways. She was joining the Justice League. He was leading the Team. Breaking up seemed like the smart thing to do. The logical thing.
And neither of them shed a single tear over it… Even though their hearts were breaking in perfect symmetry as they walked away.
But as they stood together now, alone in the Cave – talking about a mission and thinking about love – it felt like one of those stolen moments.
They weren't supposed to still care. They weren't supposed to still have feelings for each other. They were supposed to be done. They were supposed to be over. The breakup was supposed to have ended it.
And yet, here they were, staring into each other's eyes, remembering.
Finally, Nightwing broke the silence.
"Are you sure you wanna come?" he asked in an almost inaudible whisper.
Zatanna blinked quickly for a moment, coming back to reality. She looked up at him and smiled softly.
"Yeah." she said, "I'm sure."
He smiled back at her. She was serious about the mission, but she was also excited to be back. Even if it was only one mission, Nightwing was excited, too. He wanted to fight beside her again. He wanted to know she had his back. Except for maybe Batman, there was no one he trusted more than Zatanna in a fight.
Then she did something unexpected.
She put her hand on his arm and stood on her toes again. As if to thank him for letting her join the mission, Zatanna quickly kissed him on the cheek.
And in that moment they both felt like kids again.
They remembered the days when nothing but homework or being grounded got in the way of spending time together. The days when she would use words like 'whelmed' or 'aster' to make him smile. The days when a date could be eating pizza and watching a movie at the Cave. The days when relationships were simple.
"Well," Nightwing said, knowing that he was blushing and hoping that she couldn't see it though his mask, "That was very… chalant of you."
Her cheeks were slightly pink, but she smiled at his use of the word. Their word.
"Always." she replied with a laugh.
Nightwing started to laugh, too, because her laughter was both beautiful and contagious, and because at that moment it was the funniest thing she could have said.
And there they stood, two people who'd broken their own hearts without meaning to, laughing at old memories and future possibilities.