Okay so I'm not entirely sure how well this turned out because fluff is usually an accident when I write it. Like, every time I have ever written fluff, I have never actually set out to do it. It just kinda happens. But that was what was requested, no angst, no smut (Which, I'm still trying to learn to write, so I guess I'm grateful for that at least) Just fluff and sweetness. I started over probably three or four times, like, completely new documents, not even remotely close plots, started over from scratch started over. But finally I got something that didn't stray too far from the prompt.
Valentine's day. It was literally the worst day of the year in Artemis' opinion. Not only was it the one day where being single sucked ass, it was also full of the most sappy, gag worthy couples she had ever seen. It seemed not even heroes were immune to the Valentine bug. Zatanna had stopped in and had yet to leave Robin's side even after spending nearly the whole afternoon with him. Artemis hadn't known they were a thing. But, she supposed, given the hushed whispers and excited giggles that she could occasionally hear, they must be.
Currently they were in the cave's kitchen, cooking up a feast. Seriously, what were they going to do with all that food? Spend the rest of the day feeding the homeless? Ugh, it made her want to barf. There was a whole roast, a plethora of pies, and all sorts of different cookies. Megan had come in a few times and offered to help, but had been turned away as politely as possible. Conner had wandered in a few times and asked for a cookie, which they managed to spare him. She was honestly just surprised Kid Flash hadn't shown up and asked for a whole pie yet. But, oh well, that was just one less headache she had to deal with. He was probably off trying to woo some poor girl in his own attempt at a Valentine's date. She sighed, finally having had enough of their nonsense. Artemis trudged her way to the kitchen.
"What are you two even doing? You've been running around the mountain all day, and now you're cooking us out of house and home, what gives? This is the most ridiculous Valentine's date I think I've ever seen," she groused. Robin and Zatanna just looked to each other and shared a small mischievous smile between them. That really didn't bode well.
"We're prepping a date actually," Zee answered happily.
"It's Valentine's Arty, you've gotta put in the most effort!" Robin grinned up at her. She just gave a deadpan look back.
"Uh-huh, but doesn't prepping together defeat the purpose?" she asked, absolutely one hundred percent done already. Both of them just shook their heads and smiled.
"I'm going to go find the picnic blanket Zee, can you finish up in here?" Robin asked. He was already leaving the room, not even answering her question, or waiting for an answer to his own.
"Sure thing Robin! And why don't you go get dressed too, it's almost time after all." She gave him a thumbs up and he seemed to light up even more before racing all the way back down the hall to his room once more. And then it was just the two of them. "Robin isn't my Valentine's date Artemis, he just asked me to help him plan his date." Zatanna smiled before turning back to the oven and pulling out more pastries.
"If you're not his date then who is? I thought you had a thing for him." She cocked her hip and crossed her arms. Boy wonder had a different girlfriend? Now she wanted to know.
"That is up to him to tell you, not me. And I did, but then I realized that I wasn't really his type."
"Not his type? You've got to be kidding me, when we first met you he could barely keep his eyes off you."
"We are just friends Artemis." She laughed. Artemis didn't buy it for a second, but chose to leave it alone. She rolled her eyes and went back over to the living room to go back to watching her movie on TV, The Princess Bride , ugh, even television was infected. At least it was a classic.
By the end of the movie it was almost six and Robin had come back out in some very nice looking civilian clothes. Black slacks and a red three quarter length sleeve shirt, black dress shoes, and of course, his trademark domino mask. But, she noticed, he looked different; he had his bangs swept to the side and the rest of his hair slicked back. It wasn't a look Artemis was really used to, but she could admit that he looked pretty sharp. He walked back to the kitchen, a large red and white checkered blanket and a beach umbrella in his hands.
"Zee, I can't find the ribbon we bought." He sounded like he was pouting.
"Did you check the dresser drawer?"
"Of course, and the closet, and under my pillow, under the bed, in the vault, I can't find it anywhere."
"Don't worry, go set up on the beach and I'll find it." She smiled before chanting whatever magic spell she was going to use to find the silly ribbon. " Etacol nitas nobbir." He breathed out a sigh of relief and nodded as she started following her spell. Artemis watched as he exited through the back of the mountain, walking onto the beach and towards a darker patch of sand. He tossed out the blanket over the dark sand and Artemis realized that Zatanna had probably solidified that part because as soon as Robin had smoothed the blanket out, there weren't any bumps from the sand deforming it. She watched, bored, as he set to work placing a single heavy rock at each corner and then opened the umbrella, and situated it perfectly. He finished just as Zatanna walked passed her with a procession of floating food. All the food they had spent that morning making, she noted. She grabbed one of the first cookies as it made its way past her, Sword in the Stone style -instantly regretting it as she took a bite. Oatmeal raisin? Who even liked those? Oh well, she ate the rest of it, deciding that if she was going to steal it and feel like a dick, she might as well finish it at least.
Zatanna helped him set everything up and handed him the ribbon that she had found for him. She smiled and made a grand gesture with her hands and then there was a sudden flash of purple in the air surrounding the small little picnic blanket. But it was gone before Artemis could really contemplate what it was, probably another spell of some sort. Somehow candles had gotten out there, she couldn't remember if she had seen Robin or Zatanna carry any out, but, there they were, sitting in the middle of the blanket. Zatanna continued to help set up little floating balls of fire around the blanket as well. It really did look like a cute date, you know, if you bought into the whole 'Valentine's is supposed to be special' bullshit. Once everything was apparently perfect Robin tied the ribbon around his neck, the puffy satin bow just below his chin, like a bowtie. He pulled out some sunglasses from his breast pocket and turned from both Zatanna and Artemis' own view to carefully peel off the mask and put his glasses on. Boy Wonder must be serious about whoever his date was if he was taking the mask off. Was she a civilian? Would they finally get to find out Robin's secret identity if she found his date later and pestered her enough? Suddenly there was a beeping noise and Artemis' attention was pulled from Zatanna and Robin to the monitor in the hall.
Casually she strolled over and accepted the call, pressing the correct buttons on the large computer. Wally's face popped up almost too close to the camera and she had to take a surprised step back. Why was he calling? "Uh, yeah?" she asked. She was irritated with the redhead already and he hadn't even opened his mouth yet.
"Dude, the zeta tubes are glitching out! I can't get into the mountain! I tried the one in the Hall of Justice, and I tried all the ones I could remember - they don't recognize me!" he screeched. Well, this just made her Valentine's day a thousand times better. No Kid Flash to annoy her until whatever wonderful glitch this was was fixed. She smiled.
"I'm not seeing a problem here Kid Mouth."
"Arty! Come on, I need to get there, I've been running around all day, I just want to eat and sleep!"
"You mean you haven't been out on a Valentine's date with a girl all day?" she asked, raising a brow.
"Shit! That's today? Between missions back to back all week and Babs ordering me around like the slave driver she is all day I had completely forgotten!" He looked like he wanted to kill himself with the way he drooped. "I haven't even gotten a present or flowers yet!"
"What happened to just wanting food and sleep?"
"That was before Valentine's day happened."
"So you do have a date, and you just ignored her all day?" Artemis couldn't help the snicker that left her lips at his poor girlfriend waiting around all day for a romantic date that had never happened. "Maybe you should take a few pointers from Robin then, he's set up a picnic behind the mountain on the beach for his date," she teased. Wally was quiet after that, which was weird, because Wally was never quiet. He looked stunned and then, ever so slowly, he smiled wide.
"That crafty little -" He couldn't even finish his sentence before he was chuckling to himself and suddenly he wasn't there anymore. Artemis cut the transmission and shook her head. Kid Flash, ever the enigma. She turned to go back over to her hiding spot, only to find Zatanna in it now, smiling with what she could only call anticipation. Artemis walked back over and leaned on Zatanna's back, her hands resting on her own shoulders, and her elbows resting over Zatanna's shoulders. She pressed her cheek against the back of her hand as she joined the spying witch. Zatanna just giggled as she felt Artemis' weight against her back.
"That was perfect!" she grinned. Artemis wasn't really sure what she was talking about but hummed an affirmative anyway.
"So, we're just gonna watch Boy Wonder's date from all the way over here?" And suddenly she was being shushed as Zatanna chanted another spell.
"Tel su reah meht" And before she could even ask what the girl had cast, she found out. There was a huge gust of sand moving across the beach that could only be Kid Flash, but the sand seemed to completely avoid the blanket and Robin as the speedster approached. That must have been the purple flash, a barrier to keep the sand out. But that would mean that they had anticipated Kid Flash showing up, which would have been impossible, right? Unless Robin was the reason KF couldn't get into the cave. Which made sense really. Other than Batman, who else could have hacked the Zeta tubes like that?
"You know, there are easier ways to plan a surprise date," came Wally's voice, crystal clear right next to them. Zatanna smirked over to her; they were totally going to eavesdrop.
"What do you mean? I was simply waiting for you to show up?" Robin's voice was the picture of innocence.
"Uh-huh, and that's why you hacked the zeta tubes and made me Babs' slave all day? Which, by the way, was the worst way to spend Valentine's day ever."
"Oh come on, Babs isn't that bad, and besides, she was helping me keep you distracted - I owe her my thanks. Now sit down so I can give you your present." Robin answered, pulling at Wally's hand, who immediately found a seat on the classic style blanket.
"I didn't get you anything because I completely forgot, but uh, rain check?" Wally sounded like he felt pretty miserable, and had they been close enough to see both boys clearly she would have noticed the loving smile that crept onto Robin's lips as he pulled Wally's hand into his lap and leaned against the taller hero.
"Oh my god," she whispered aloud. "Wally? Wally and Robin are a thing? I totally thought Wally was straight." She unbent her arms and wrapped them around Zatanna's chest, each hand resting on opposite shoulders in a tight hug. She muttered under her breath, "Though, I mean it makes sense that if they were gonna be gay, it'd be for each other". Zatanna just giggled again.
"They're so cute! And Robin wanted everything to be perfect, even if it meant sabotaging the day for Wally." She squealed, her own hands coming up to grip Artemis' forearms. Artemis had to give the boy wonder props for that move. If someone had done that to her, she would have flipped a bitch.
"That's okay, just accept my present and I'll call it even." Robin chuckled as he made himself comfortable.
"I can't see them," Artemis whispered again, both her and Zatanna leaning slightly farther out the open doorway.
"Neither can I, here, let me try something. Gniraeh si ton hguone, wohs em diK hsalF dna niboR" She chanted once more, and Artemis was soon surprised to see a small projection of their teammates faces. Both girls grinned and chose to move away from their hiding place and to the couch now that they could see and hear at their own pleasure. Zatanna moved the projection up to the television and they leaned back to watch their friend's romantic evening.
"And what exactly is my present?" Wally smiled down, all the love in his heart showing in his eyes. If it weren't for how enraptured in their peeping she was, Artemis might have gagged at how sappy they were, but as it stood, she was genuinely happy for them. And this made for the best blackmail material.
"Me." Robin grinned, pointing to the bow around his neck. "Care to unwrap it now, or would you like to eat dinner and watch the sun set first?" Wally seemed to think it over for a second before leaning in to kiss Robin on the lips lightly.
"As much as I would love to unwrap my present right now, I think I need some food before I would be able to properly appreciate it." Wally kissed the shorter boy one more time before leaning back and picking up a cookie. "Did you make all of this yourself?" he said, eating the whole thing in one bite. "These are soooo good babe," he practically moaned.
"No, Zatanna helped me a lot. All day actually. She helped me pick out the ribbon, my outfit, helped me make the food, she even put up a barrier to keep you from spewing sand all over the blanket when you came. Not to mention the mood lighting." He gestured to the floating fire balls and smiled. "I'm glad you like them. I know oatmeal raisin is your favorite. I even had Al give me his pie recipes." He nodded towards three different pies. "Lemon, cherry, and Dutch apple." Artemis snickered when she saw how Wally was practically drooling.
"Babe, you are literally the best! You are totally forgiven for siccing the devil on me all day." He grinned before digging into the plethora of food before him. Watching him eat always made her sick to her stomach, but Robin just watched, happy and content. If Wally really had been running around all day, all that food made a lot more sense. He made up a plate for himself and ate as well, watching as the black hole he called a boyfriend ravaged the food he had put so much time into preparing. Artemis wasn't entirely sure how Robin kept his appetite while watching Wally practically inhale all that, but he did.
By the time all the food had been eaten, Kaldur, Megan, and Conner had all decided to watch with them. This was better than any sappy love movie; this was actually real life and they knew the stars of this sap fest.
"Aw! They look so happy!" Megan had crooned as she sat down with her and Zatanna, a bowl of popcorn floating over to rest in her lap. Wally now had his arms wrapped tightly around Robin's waist as he pulled the little devil into his lap, nuzzling the back of his head.
"You smell really good, new cologne?"
"Kinda, you like it?"
"It's nice, like, a campfire. Warm." Robin blushed at the compliment given to him, and Artemis saw Kaldur smile softly at the scene. Robin snuggled in closer to the speedster, resting his head against Wally's chest, just under his chin.
"Happy Valentine's day Wally."
"Happy Valentine's Dick." They both smiled and Robin leaned up to kiss Wally once more. Maybe, thought Artemis, there was something to Valentine's day after all.
Notes:
I was kind of worried about writing it in Artemis' view, but I figured if I wrote it in either Robin or KF's, I would never get it where I wanted it to go. Arty is a little bitter, which, is how I've been writing my characters lately, I mean seriously, take a look at Broken or The Beauty of A Secret, both of those are how my brain has been working lately.
I purposely didn't specify ages, because I wasn't entirely sure what direction this was going to take, so you can imagine whatever age you want, it's between season 1 and 2, that's for sure (mostly because I really don't like Megan in season two too much.)
~ Evi