Hey, this is sort of my reaction fic for today's episode. If you haven't seen it don't read!
I feel like they could have done a lot more with Robin and Zatanna than just the small almost-comfort he gave her. I's also mad about the lack of DaddyBats :( but that's for another fic. If you really want one showing Dick and Bruce being all father/son and fluffy than tell me in the reviews and maybe I'll write one tomorrow. It depends if I get enough requests, as I'm not super good a fluff, but I'll try my best if you guys want it :)
Anyway, this is basically my idea of what I want to happen between them. I'll explain more at the end.
Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or this would have been in the episode
The door closed with a snap after Robin left. The sound seemed to trigger her tears, which began flowing almost at once. She curled in on herself and lay on her side in the unfamiliar bed at her unfamiliar home in her empty, unfamiliar life.
If Zatanna had been paying attention and if she had looked close enough, she might have seen a differant emotion on Robin's face when he glanced back at her. She had seen the sorrow and regret, but what she had taken as pity she might have seen was really a grim understanding. Zatanna hadn't been paying attention. She hadn't looked close enough. If she had, she might have asked Robin to stay so she could figure out what he understood so well.
Instead he had left and she was crying in her new home, but she didn't want to call the cave a home. Home was with her dad. Home was having him next to her and telling her she's fine and she'll be safe. Home isn't this cold and empty place where she was now. This was a cave, a house, a place to live but not to be happy, not really.
Zatanna wasn't sure how long she kept crying like that, but after a time she became aware of an emptiness in her stomach to accompany the one in her life. Despite wanting to simply lay on her bed for the rest of her life and whither away, Zatanna found herself getting up and shuffling her feet towards the door. The image of Robin looking back at her before he left flashed in her mind, though she wasn't sure why it would or did.
Ignoring the memory, Zatanna continued on her way to the cave's kitchen. She only dimly remembered where it was from the 'tour' she had gotten on her first visit, so she wandered through the halls a bit until she finally found it.
When she did, Zatanna noticed there was a light on in the room. She didn't particularly feel like talking to anyone but her stomach grumbled loudly so she wiped her eyes and pushed open the door. The sudden light blinded her for a moment but when her eyes adjusted she saw Robin sitting on one of the stools at the counter and typing on his computer with a glass of water next to him.
He looked over at her and seemed to take in her disheveled appearance before asking in an even, conversational voice, "Hungry? What do you want? I'll get it for you."
She nodded and said in a small, cracked voice, "Anything." Robin nodded and slid off of the stool to begin opening cabinets and taking out different items. Zatanna seated herself in the stool next to his computer and glanced at the screen. Most of it was occupied by blueprints for a bomb-like device but in one corner was a small picture.
Zatanna turned the laptop to get a better look at the digital image and saw a man and a woman with a small black-haired boy standing together and smiling at the camera. They were in front of a red and white striped tent and all were wearing colorful costumes. When Zatanna looked closer at the boy, she saw he had brilliant light blue eyes and the biggest grin she had ever seen on a child. The adults looked just as happy as the boy. She assumed they were his parents as they bore a strong resemblance to the kid. The father had the same black hair and blue eyes while the mother had a similar mouth and nose.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have had that open," Robin's voice startled Zatanna and she jumped in her seat as he turned the computer away from her and closed the top with a snap.
"W-who were they?" she asked slowly, watching Robin's face. He seemed nervous but sad at the same time.
He turned away from her and back to the stove, where he had started making pancakes. It took him a while to answer as he flipped the cooking food but then he said, so quietly she almost didn't hear it, "My parents."
Zatanna took another minute to answer, wondering why he sounded so sad, "So that little boy was you?" Robin nodded even though his back was still to the girl. She continued, hopping to get a real answer out of him, "Did you live at a circus? You were all wearing costumes."
Robin hesitated before answering, "Yeah, I used to."
Zatanna picked her next question carefully. There was so much she wanted to ask but she decided not to pry at first, though she still wondered why he sounded so sad. "Did you perform? Or was it just your parents? You looked really young then."
Finally Robin turned back to her, the finished pancakes on a plate in his hand. He set them on the counter in front of her and sat back in the same stool he had been at before. As hard as she tried, Zatanna couldn't find any more emotion on the boy's face than the grief she already knew was there. He took a long time to answer, but when he did his voice still sounded cool and even; devoid of any emotion, "We were acrobats and yeah, I performed. I started when I was five. I was," he seemed to choke on his words before continuing, "I was eight in that picture."
"Did something happen?" Zatanna asked carefully. Something must have happened to make Robin so sad just talking about it.
Robin didn't meet her eyes, "I-I can't tell you exactly. Batman won't let me. But," she waited anxiously for him to continue, though at his prolonged silence Zatanna began to wonder if she really wanted to hear what he had to say. Before she could tell him to stop, Robin continued, saying the words quickly, "They both died when I was eight, a moth after that was taken. They fell during a show. We weren't using a net. We never did."
"I-I'm sorry. I- you didn't have to tell me. You could have-" Zatanna began, already feeling the tears from in her eyes when Robin cut her off.
"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault. You were just curious. I'm not really sure why I told you, anyway," Robin paused before meeting her eyes for the first time since they started talking. "I guess I just want you to know that I get it. I know what you're feeling. But you're lucky. Your dad might still come back. He still can. Just don't give up. It'll get better even if it doesn't feel like it ever will."
The tears finally came free. She cried for herself but now also for Robin and everything he had lost. She cried because she wasn't sure what else to do. She couldn't take it all in, all the pain and the new information. Before she knew it, Zatanna felt Robin put an arm around her shoulders and squeeze gently. She took the invitation and leaned against him, burying her face in his jacket. She continued crying as he rubbed her back and talked softly in her ear. She didn't catch his words but still felt the gentle comfort in them.
Finally, after what felt like an impossibly long time, she pulled back and looked back at Robin's face. His eyes were still covered by the dark sunglasses but she could almost imagine the brilliant blue eyes behind them. She could imagine the pain and grief in those eyes. He kept everything hidden behind those glasses and his mask. She reached up almost without realizing it and pulled the glasses away. He didn't object, only watched as she looked for the first time into his real eyes. The blue stunned her, even though she had been expecting it. The clear, bright blue eyes that had lost so much and yet still had the shinning light of hope in them. He still lived, still smiled and laughed. If he could go through all that at eight years old and still smile, then surely she could go through less at fourteen and smile eventually, too.
Finally Zatanna found her voice and said quietly, "Thank you. I-I'm sorry about your jacket."
The fabric was stained with her tears where she had cried on it, which she had only just noticed. Robin looked down and seemed to notice it, too, for he laughed loudly and said, "It's fine. I don't mind," his genuine smile lifted Zatanna's heart even more and she felt her mouth twitch upward slightly. Robin seemed thrilled by her response and grinned even wider. His eyes seemed to shine with his happiness. She couldn't help but laugh at his excitement, as if it had been his life's goal to get her to smile that one time.
She couldn't help but ask after that thought crossed her mind, "How do you still laugh after that? After loosing them so quickly and suddenly?"
His grin faded slightly as he answered, "It gets better. And I had someone to help me through it. He's still helping me, but it's gotten better," Robin paused again before saying slowly, "I can help you, if you want. I'm the only one on the team that really understands. All they can do is sympathize and pity you. I know that's probably the last thing you want. You can talk to me if you want to."
"Thank you. I-I don't want their pity, you're right. Thank you," Zatanna whispered, thanking him twice but not caring. If he could help her more than he already had she would never be able to thank him enough. Maybe with his help the cave could become home too. Become a place to happy.
"Come on, we should both go to bed. It's two in the morning and your pancakes are cold." Robin said, standing up.
"Two am? I was- in my room longer than I thought," Zatanna said, shocked. She stopped herself from saying that she had been crying, even though he probably already knew.
"Time flies when you want nothing more than for it to stop and rewind," Robin said simply. Zatanna felt grateful for his response. He knew she had cried. He knew she had wished she could go back and stop herself from putting on the helmet. He just didn't come out and say it, which helped her feel like she still had some semblance of pride left.
Robin slipped his sunglasses back on and together they walked back to their respective rooms. Robin stopped outside of Zatanna's and smiled at her one more time before leaving for his own room. Once he was gone Zatanna began to wonder why he had been up so late in the first place. She wanted to say he had just had trouble sleeping, but for some reason she felt that he had been waiting for her. It was stupid, she thought, how could he have known she would come out at all? But then he had known so much else. Maybe he had done the same thing at eight years old.
She turned back to see a light at the end of the hall. It vanished a second later but she still felt the warmth of knowing there was someone who really understood her pain. She only wondered if the person who had helped him had been there for him as quickly as he was for her. She hopped so.
A/N: So there it is! I'm going to explain a few of my choices so there is no confusion about anything.
Okay, so Dick didn't technically tell Zatanna his identity. He just came REALLY close. He sort of wanted to tell her everything, but he didn't because of Batman's orders, even though he trusts her (in my mind). Also, I know she could easily see Dick on TV and recognize him since she saw him without his glasses, but she saw him in the picture anyway, so he didn't really think he could hide his eyes anymore.
I also wanted to have Dick in the picture with his parents instead of the one usually described with just them, so I made it a different picture. I also think it's believable he would have it out and be thinking about them since Zatanna lost her dad.
Lastly, I do ship Rob/Zatanna or Chalant. I love Dick/Babs too but I think these two are so cute together! Plus I'm waiting to see if Babs is Batgirl. If she is then Zatanna can forget it. Robin/Batgirl all the way!
Heh, anyway don't forget to review and let me know what you think, if you loved Misplaced, and if you want to see some DaddyBats fluff in another fanfic.