I needed some Robin #1 fluff, so I wrote this. What do you guys think?
Looking back, he couldn't even remember why they'd fought about it. It was such a silly thing- Dick was injured, a broken rib, Bruce didn't want him to go on patrol and Dick wasn't having it. So, in a fit of anger, he'd left, flying as Robin to a Gotham apartment roof, changing to his civvies, coming down the fire escape. From there, he'd walked to the park. Now he sat, high up in a tree that someone had conveniently balanced a plank in, looking over the people below.
He wondered what the Team was doing- Wally was probably eating, Artemis possibly practising archery somewhere. M'gann and Connor would be at the cave, Kaldur either with them or in Atlantis... He shifted and winced as his rib throbbed. Dammit. He really shouldn't have left the house. He was starting to get hungry, but he'd left his wallet behind, and his side ached, but he had no painkillers with him. Why now? All the times to forget, all the times to-
"Oh!" He jumped and looked around. No-one. Then a soft laugh. "Below you." He looked down, and hanging from a branch a couple of metres down was a girl, around the same age as him. Green eyes and braided blonde hair, a friendly smile, the girl clung easily to the branch, but he saw her flick a glance over her shoulder to a group of rather mean-looking girls coming closer, looking for something- or someone. "Sorry to disturb you, I'll just-". Dick cut her off.
"No, wait, that's alright. Come up." She gave him a relieved grin and scrambled up.
"Hey, thanks." She offered him her hand. "I'm Klara." He smiled slightly and took it.
"Dick Grayson. This your plank?" Klara laughed.
"Yeah. It was a pain to get up here, but," she shrugged, glancing down at the oblivious girls. "Worth it." He nodded.
"Definitely. Nice view, good spot..." She smiled. Reaching into a black pack slung over her shoulder, she rummaged through it.
"Do you like chocolate?" Dick blinked at the sudden question.
"Pardon?"
"Do you like chocolate? Specifically almond?" She pulled two bars out of her bag. "Someone gave these to me, but I don't like nuts." He hesitated.
"Well, yeah, but..."
"Here." She pushed them into his hands and smiled. "A thanks for sharing the tree. Plus, it's a great comfort food." She gave him a slightly knowing look, and he laughed roughly. She must have guessed he was hiding as much as her.
"Thanks. It's no problem, sharing the tree, I mean." They sat in silence for a few minutes, Dick eating one of the bars and Klara pulling out a sketchbook to draw something.
"You're from Germany, aren't you?" Klara looked up and smiled.
"Ja. How did you guess?" He shrugged.
"I used to travel a lot."
"Circus?"
"Yeah. How did you guess?" She grinned and shrugged.
"My Papa used to be a great marksman in one of Germany's finest circuses. He retired when he met Mama, but when the circus came to town we used to visit, and the ringmaster gave us tours. The acrobats always had a very distinct look to them- small, tough, and fit, slightly calloused palms." Dick smiled.
"You take up the family mantle?"
"If you mean shooting, yes. Archery, occasionally knife throwing, or axes. I'm only any good with the bow, last time I picked up a knife I nearly hit the dog." He laughed at that.
"Poor dog! Nearly being impaled by a knife!" Klara pretended to push him off the plank, and he grinned. "You'd like my friend though- she does archery too." They sat for a few more minutes, before Dick thought of another question.
"Where do you go to school?" Klara frowned.
"I just moved, so I haven't actually been yet, but I think some place called Gotham Academy."
"Hey, that's great! I go there! I can show you the ropes. You'll like my friends, I think, Babs and the others." Klara smirked.
"Babs, eh? Someone special?" He groaned.
"No. Why does everyone think that? If anything, she's a sister."
"Ah, just kidding. My best friend back in Germany, he and I were very close, and people asked us all the time." Dick nodded.
"As you can tell, I know the feeling."
The pair talked easily, Dick finding Klara and he had much in common. It seemed like hardly any time before the sun set, and he sighed.
"I have to get home," he said unwillingly. Klara grinned.
"The great Dick Grayson has a curfew?" She teased, and he pulled a face at her.
"What, and you don't?" He returned.
"No, actually, although I suspect Mama will change that soon, being in Gotham. Here, this is my phone number. It was nice to meet you, Dick." The pair easily scrambled down the tree, Dick maybe showing off at the end with a few flips and spins, much to the delight of his new friend.
"It was nice to meet you too, Klara. Talk to you when you get to school?"
"Monday, and yes. Oh, this is for you." She pressed a piece of paper, the one she was drawing on before, into his hand. "Auf Wiedersehen, Dick!" He waved as she ambled off down the hill, pausing once to return the gesture, before vanishing into the small group of trees in the centre of the park. He smiled, turning and heading down the hill. His grin slipped a bit at the sight of the sleek car parked at the bottom. He sighed, opening the door and sliding in.
"Who was that?" Asked Bruce softly. Dick faced the window and considered his answer.
"A friend." Nothing more was said.
The next day at the cave, Dick watched the Team messing around with amusement. They all wore their civvies, him with his signature sunnies, and Wally was sulking, having gone too fast in his shoes and worn the soles out. Artemis was teasing him, Kaldur watching with a bemused/amused expression and the other two in the kitchen. He shook his head and reached into his pocket to get his phone, so he could take a photo of a comical looking Wally waving a destroyed shoe in the air, when his fingers brushed a piece of paper. Frowning, he pulled it out and unfolded it. It was the drawing Klara gave him- a drawing of him, sitting in the tree, looking over the just visible city outline. Scrawled on the back in a slightly messy print was a message from its artist-
Dick Grayson, Gotham Park
By Klara Kaiser
22/4/18
Sometimes it's best to hide. Other times not. Choose wisely. Good luck :)
Klara captured the moment perfectly in exquisite detail, and he traced a finger over the paper, reading the message with a smile.
"Hey Rob. What's that?" He shrugged.
"A picture from a friend. Hey Wally, you realise I recorded that?" He hadn't, but it would be so easy to hack the Cave cameras.
The Speedster paused to stare at him.
"You didn't." Dick smirked.
"I did."
"Delete that now!"
"Nope."
"Rob!"
The next day, Bruce picked him up from Wally's. They drove a while before he sighed.
"Bruce?"
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry." A warm hand rested on his shoulder briefly.
"I know." They sat in silence a little longer.
"Alfred made muffins."
"Really? What kind?"
"Banana. He made me leave a few for you."
"Remind me to thank him."
"I will." The adoptive father and son smiled at each other, and when Bruce wrapped his arm around Dick's shoulders, he was more than happy to lean into the hug.
/23/4/18/
02.43pm
From: Me
To: The Girl in the Park
Hi Klara, it's Dick.
Thanks for the drawing, it's really cool. You have a real talent.
I chose. I think I chose wisely. It was simple, and it's fixed, so it had to be. Thanks.
I'll see you at school on Monday. I'm going shopping after that with some friends, the ones I told you about plus my idiot best friend. Funny thing, sometimes people think we're gay for each other. You ever have a friend like that?
See you tomorrow.