Chapter one: Heart breaker? Bone breaker.

Author's notes: Damian and Iris are like my favorite, non-major, characters in DC. (SPOLIER ALERT FOR BATMAN AND ROBIN NEW 52 COMICS! It really crushed my sister and I when Iris didn't make it into the new 52, but when they killed Damian it was too much! Now Damian is back, but still no Iris. I am just gonna ignore all that and write about the wonderful Speedemon.)

February 13, 2028

Happy Harbor, Rhode Island

My name is Iris West (Impulse), I am the daughter of Wally West (the Flash) and Artemis West (Tigress). My twin brother Jai and I are both heroes now, members of the new Young Justice team led by Damian Wayne (Robin). Today we are having a team training exercise.

"Impulse you need to move faster!" our aggressive leader shouts across the training room.

"Excuse me?" I snort "I move way faster than you, Bird Boy" I dash to stand directly in front of him.

Damian has been extra hard on the team lately and no one is sure why. They commissioned me, as the only one Damian won't kill, to find out what has our Robin's panties in a bunch. Of course it isn't an easy objective, Bats aren't the share your feelings type (exception being Uncle Dick).

"That last laser almost took off your stupid pig-tails" he tugs on one of my red pig-tails.

Damian is the kind of boy who is used to people obeying his every order, I'm the kind of girl who thinks rules are more of suggestions. That is what leads us here every other training session. He makes demands and I don't listen, he calls a meeting and I show up late, He sends out detailed schedules and I never read it.

"I had it under control" I say unperturbed.

Damian narrows his, as Dee would say, very perturbed. He knows that I am refusing to rise to his bait and he isn't happy about it. I think Damian enjoys our fights, I know I do.

"You Speedsters are all so unconcerned about everything-"

"You've obviously never been at my house when the fridge is low" I interrupt.

The other members of our team watch the exchange in awed silence, they aren't worried. Damian and I fight like this all the time, this fight may even seem tame comparatively, but we always make up in the end.

"You need to pay attention" Damian sighs.

He isn't fuming anymore and his voice has evened out, meaning Damian has realized I am not gonna fight him today. The fight is no fun if only one of you is carrying the weight.

"We've been at it for hours" I groan.

"And tomorrow is a holiday!" Kali (Aqualad and Rocket's daughter) adds.

"Holiday?" Damian and I ask in unison.

"Uh duh!" Clair (Superboy and Miss Martian's daughter) says with a roll of her bright blue eyes "Valentine's day"

I scrunch my face up in disgust. I don't particularly like Valentine's Day, too much pressure to have a valentine (especially at 15). Mom and Dad have tried to go out every year, even though dad forgets a lot (like father, like daughter). I could do without the holiday.

"But we have a training session tomorrow" Damian says seriously.

How dare a national holiday be on the same day as his training session!

"Dude?" Jai groans "I actually got a date this year"

This is news to me. Apparently, it is also news to my best friend Dee (Tim and Zatanna's daughter), she isn't going to miss an opportunity to mess with my brother.

"With who?" she retorts "your mother?"

Jai sticks out his tongue at her and she smiles triumphantly.

"but-" Damian begins to argue.

"Aww come on Bats" I cut him off "give us a break… it is a national holiday"

Damian studies me for a moment before nodding.

"Very well... no training tomorrow" he relents "but I expect all of you in here at seven sharp on the 15th"

Everyone cheers and begins to herd back to the kitchen/living room for dinner, Clair made chili and burgers. Everyone knows you gotta beat the speedsters to the food, Bart, Jai, and I can clear a fridge.

Damian doesn't follow the others, so being the brilliant and caring friend I am, I wait by the door for him.

"Something on your mind, Wonder Boy?" I tease.

Damian glances up and stalks over to lean against the wall next to me. His dark blue eyes are calculating, a sure sign that he is in a mood. His night black hair is ruffled from his intense match against Chris (Superman's adopted son) earlier today, I am surprised he didn't fix it right away. He likes to be presentable at all times, I think it is a habit from the League of Assassins.

"Hey" I grab his, forcing him to look at me "are you ok?"

As much as we fight, Damian is my best friend and I care about him. He may be a brooding bat, but this is something I've never seen before.

"I am fine" Damian promises and I release his arm.

"Then what's got you in a funk?"

That gets a smile out of him, more like a one sided smirk, but I'll take it.

"Funk?"

"I could have called it an emotional episode, but I thought funk would sound manlier"

We laugh and Damian smiles for real.

"I am fine, really" He pauses and then studies my face for a moment "… actually, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot"

"How do you ask a girl to be your valentine?"

If I had been drinking anything at that moment I would have spewed it across the room, as it was I just choked on air and convinced Damian that I was dying. He pats my back unsure and watches my face.

"w-what?" I wheeze.

Damian turns bright red and he glares at his shoes.

"How would I go about asking a female to be my valentine?" he always gets more proper and wordy when he is flustered or nervous.

"I am… not a good person to ask" I mutter.

Damian looks up suddenly, his eyes wide and panic stricken.

"I mean… I've never… actually… been asked… ya know, to be someone's valentine?" my face must be as red as my hair "not a lot of time for romance when you're a superhero" I add with a forced laugh.

Damian relaxes.

"Oh…" he studies his shoes again with rapped attention "would you want some boy to ask you?"

I shrug and scuff my boot on the cave floor.

"Maybe… I'm not sure" I glance up at Damian's face and find him watching me with interest "A girl likes to know boys like her, but… the pressure of having a valentine-"

Damian's eyes narrow dangerously.

"Pressures how?"

"Like would he expect me to kiss him? Would he be my boyfriend? What would I be expected to do?" I try to explain my (most likely irrational) fears to the boy without fears.

I expect him to scoff at my awkwardness or make a joke about me being afraid of boys, instead he shocks me with anger.

"It doesn't matter what he" Damian spits the word he like venom "-expects or wants. What matters is what you are comfortable with"

I guess I should have figured Damian would react this way. He has always been as protective as Jai when it comes to me and other boys. Mom says the Bat boys aren't good at sharing, sometimes she has to drag Dad away from Uncle Dick.

"There is no guy" I remind him "just my unfounded anxieties" I joke.

"Sorry I-"

"No prob Dami" I nudge his arm "I'd bet Dee or Clair would know what you should say. I could ask them for you?"

Damian shakes his head.

"Probably not going to ask anyways, just thought since you were here… that now would be a good time to seek your advice on the matter"

Damian is proud, strong, and confident, but he is also closed off, private, and only Uncle Dick and I ever really see him unsure. I am proud to be one of his confidants, but I wish he felt he could trust the team more.

"Well if you are no longer in need of my services, let's go get some of Claire's chili. I am starved!"

…

February 14, 2028

Keystone, Kansas

Mom and Dad are going out, Jai and his date are going on a double date with Dee and her date (that will end well!), and I am staying home alone and watching movies. I have stocked up on chocolates, ice cream, and soda so I can really enjoy my night of forever alone (Just Kidding).

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" Mom asks as she fixes her hair "Your father would gladly stay if that's what you wanted"

"No!" I refuse "you and Dad deserve a night on the town, or wherever you go, just the two of you. I am a big girl and I can totally handle V-day on my own, even if Jai is totally skipping out on his twin sister for some normal chick"

Mom laughs and pulls me into a tight hug.

"You know Jai loves you more than anybody… he just has never… gotten attention from a girl, other than the team, before" she leans close "I bet you he comes back an hour early and tells you all about how terrible his date was" she whispers.

With my mother's reassurances and my butt-load of chocolate, I was ready to face the holiday alone… probably…

Jai gave me a fist bump on the way out the door and Dad almost crushed my ribcage with his goodbye hug. After I assured him that I would be fine, Mom dragged him out for their date, and I started my first movie "Emma" (the BBC version of course).

Emma had just married off her nanny to their neighbor when I heard a knock at the door. My first though was Dad had dragged mom back from their date, but when I peeked through the peep hole I was met with a surprise.

"Damian?" I ask as I fling the door open.

Damian Wayne stands on my doorstep wearing his Batman pajamas, carrying a basket full of Alfred's famous (among the speedsters) chocolate chip cookies, and grinning mischievously. He marches into my house and throws the cookies on the coffee table.

"Iris"

"What are you doing here?" I am so confused that I almost forget to close the door.

"You are spending the day alone, I am spending the day alone. I thought why don't we spent Valentine's Day alone… together" he explains as he plops onto my couch "ah Jane Austen, very classy for an all alone party"

I decide what the heck. Damian and I are best friends, if I can't enjoy this dumb holiday with him then who can I enjoy it with? I throw myself onto the couch beside him and throw my legs over the arm.

"You know me, BBC and Jane Austen are my comfort movies"

He passes me the cookies and I take six. The best part about hanging with Damian, he never judges my eating habits. I wanna eat three dozen cookies at the JLA Christmas party, he slips me one whenever he passes by. It's probably a side effect of the whole Speedster/Robin relationship going so far back. They know how we are and we know how they are.

"Thank you"

"Any time"

Four movies later and I'm starting to doze off. The first time my hand slips out from under my head and wakes me with a start, the second time Damian offers his shoulder and I drift off immediately. I wake up later and fine he is dozing as well, his head leaned on mine.

"Hey Dami" I nudge his shoulder "wake up, we fell asleep"

I glance at the clock.

"Oh poop! Damian it's already eight"

Damian's eyes snap open and he glares at the offending clock.

"You're right" he mutters stretching his arms "what time are your parents returning?"

"Eleven, but Jai is supposed to be back around eight-thirty"

Damian helps me clean up the living room before gathering his things and heading for the door.

"Happy Valentine's Day Irey" he calls as he slips out the door "See you tomorrow"

"Seven sharp" I call back.

I am really glad Damian came over, he made this really fun. It was nice not being alone, even if he is just my friend.

…..

February 15, 2028

Gotham City, New Jersey

Grayson greets me on my return to the manor, back early from his date with Kori. He doesn't seem upset so I assume that their early parting wasn't on negative terms.

"Hey Dami" he smiles knowingly "how was your date with Iris?"

"It was not a date" I remind him immediately.

Grayson chuckles at my obvious uncomfortableness with the topic of Iris and dates. He pushes himself off the thirty-thousand dollar, antique table and follows me into the kitchen where I put away the dishes I took to the West house.

"How did it go?" he asks again, always so persistent.

"Well"

"Well?" his smile widens "why didn't you just ask her to be your Valentine?"

Grayson, who caught on to my crush for the speedster female rather early, seems to think that I should just tell her how I feel. I think that is a terrible idea. What if she doesn't feel the same way? Then I lose my speedster forever, all because I had a crush.

"Why change our relationship? We enjoyed each other's company without her feeling pressured about my expectations" I say stoically as I place the dishes in the sink "our friendship is too precious to risk"

Grayson places a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"You are a smart kid" he ruffles my hair with his fist "but you can't expect everything to remain the same forever"

I push him away and roll my eyes.

"Dami, she will eventually start dating. Iris is a pretty girl-"

"She is beautiful" I correct.

"- yes, Iris is Beautiful and someone is going to realize that. She may even like him back and they could end up married. Do you wanna watch her be with someone else knowing you never even tried?" Grayson asks.

I see his point. The very idea of any other boy being more important to Irey then me has me seething. But I will not rush her. I enjoyed spending the day with her, even if she is just my friend.

End notes: this was just meant to be cute, I might add to it, but only if you guys want it. I really love their dynamic, they fight like an old married couple and then have each other's back unconditionally. They deserve to be in the new 52.