He could hear her soft unconcealed giggle from down the hall, he found her in the kitchen.
"Zee," he greeted her though his eyes were locked on the guy standing too close beside her.
She smirked, "Nightwing," she said responded just as coyly.
He couldn't help but smile and look at her then.
"Hey Nightwing," Hal, the green lantern, greeted him.
Dick closed the distance between them and slapped him on the shoulder. "Hal, what's happening?" he asked unnecessarily.
His body language already revealed what he was doing or trying to do. He had moved to stand slightly in front of her, like he was protecting her…..or what he deemed his.
Hal went to open his mouth to reply before Dick refocused his attention on Zatanna, "Batman's looking for you, seemed urgent." He lied.
Hal stiffened, "Really?" he asked.
"Yeah," Dick said smoothly, "You should probably go."
"Yeah, okay." He looked at Zatanna who was leaning against the watchtower's kitchen wall now, tea in hand. "Duty calls, maybe we could-"
"Raincheck," she finished for him. "I know the drill, I'll see you around."
Hal nodded and turned to face Dick (who was in uniform) but not before appraising Zatanna with his eyes. She pretended not to notice as he ducked out of the room.
"The Green Lantern? Really? I didn't peg him for your type." Dick finally said after a moment.
"And you know my type?" she asked as she started walking into the hallway.
He followed her closely. "No, but I know Hal's not it." He countered.
She looked at him from the corner of her eye and shrugged, "And you care, why?"
"He's a nice guy, I'd hate for you to break his heart. Only so many people are built for that kind of hurt." He scolded her.
"That's true enough," she said, "but I'm he can survive a late night dinner."
"That depends," he countered, she looked at him, her eyes alight with curiosity and laughter "how late is dinner and are you for dessert?" he asked.
She looked at him, her eyes hiding nothing, debating if she should answer him. She didn't owe him anything, no necessary explanation, or insight about her love life but considering their relationship (platonically…for the most part she tried to convince herself) she would tell him anyway.
"Not that it's any of your business," she started, "but we're catching dinner after my show and I doubt we'll stray from the printed restaurant menu." She answered honestly.
She stopped walking then and they faced one other; smirking. Dick spoke first. "Where'd you go this morning?" he asked in a hushed tone.
Zatanna walked over to the window across from them and sat in the sill, watching Earth from where the Watchtower orbited above it. "I left." She said as if it were obvious.
Dick went and sat across from her reluctantly.
"Yeah, that much I pieced together. Why?" he asked, determined to get a straight answer from her.
"Don't tell me you're the cuddling type?" she joked.
He chuckled, "Sometimes, you know, on special occasions." He responded.
She raised her mug to him, "I feel the same way." She beamed.
"So last night wouldn't be considered a special occasion in your book?" he asked in a lower voice, leaning in towards her a bit. "Not even after seven times?"
Her full pink lips were pursed together and a light blush colored her face. "It was…..good," she admitted reluctantly.
Dick shot her a disbelieving look from behind the cowl, she laughed freely then. "Fine, it was great but it was still just a one night stand Dick, no need to get all weird about it."
"You're hurting my feelings Zee," he said playfully scooching over closer to her.
She slid closer to him too, cursing herself all the while for being roped in by his mannish charms. They were face to face now, inches away from each other. Looking at his soft lips and chiseled jaw made her stomach twist; her eyes slowly climbed up his face until she was looking into the whites of his mask. She tried to distract herself.
"You shouldn't have lied to Hal." She said as she let her fingers trace invisible patterns on his cheeks and over his lips.
"Why?" he asked playfully as he caught her hand on his face and weaved their fingers together.
She looked at their hands pointedly, "Because I don't want to complicate things Dick, this….it was just one night." She said reminding them both as she pulled her hand away.
"It doesn't have to be," he whispered.
"Yes," she said looking at him sternly, "It does. Anything more is asking too much of the both of us."
She was right, she was always right but it always felt so wrong to him.
He smiled anyway, "You're right, as always" he said getting up, "but you owe me." he said giving her his hand.
She smiled and shook her head. "If you don't fall head over heels for me first." She threatened jokingly.
"Too late, and eventually these excuses of ours won't matter but for now, I'll settle for my raincheck." He said semi-seriously wriggling his eyebrows and getting another laugh out of her.
They heard heavy footsteps coming down the corridor and two low disgruntled voices.
"Maybe I shouldn't have lied to Hal," he said looking down the hall and bracing himself mentally for a lecture from Bats.
Zatanna grabbed his hand, "I told you," she said before winking and teleporting them to ShadowCrest.
Dick landed on his back and in his boxers, uniform nowhere to be seen. Zatanna stood in front of him, at the edge of the bed in her underwear.
"What are we doing here?" he asked, as he realized they were in her room. A different scene from last night, when they'd been in his apartment and in nearly every room.
"Giving you that raincheck," she said climbing on top of him and putting her lips over his.
Dick wrapped his arm around her waist and flipped them over so he was on top, breaking their kiss and knocking the breath out of her. She looked at him skeptically and a little impressed at the speed and agility of the movement.
"This time," he said as he began to lower his lips onto hers, "we're cuddling."
Zatanna laughed and met his lips with hers. His words rang in her ears, 'eventuallythese excuses of ours won't matter' she hoped with everything in her being that he was right.