Title: The Problem
Disclaimer: They were all better off if I would own them and not DC
Summary: it would be realtionship issues if there was a relationship
Word Count: 1285
Characters/Pairing: Heatwave, Piper, Trickster
Rating: PG
Warning: none


It has been a long day for all of them. After a bank robbing, a hostage situation in a museum and some supervillain, all Rogues were positively exhausted.

Mark started to peel off his costume and went to the shower. It was the second friday in the month; his visitation time for Josh. Due to his new superhero-status he managed to get joint custody with Iris Allen. They had a rough time dealing with each other, but for Josh´s sake both were ready for all sacrifices. Mark loved his son. He would protect his child from everything. If Doomsday, Brainiac, Zoom, and who-ever came to him...they´d better come prepared. And today, it was finally visitation day. Mark acted worse than a child on christmas.

Owen went up to his room. He had applied for a transfer to another team to gather experience. So he said. They all knew that he had a girlfriend (or at least a crush) on the Titan team (which was coincidentally the team he wanted to transder to). They hadn´t found out who exactly -yet- . He would now spend some time on the phone. Hours, sometimes. Only Piper´s adamant stand that it was really unethical to spy on Owen (and Piper´s threat to publish the photos from last christmas party to the internet) kept Tricks from exposing Owen´s little secret.

Cold left without a word. They didn´t know where he would go. But as long as he kept coming back they didn´t need to worry. For now.

That left Heatwave, Piper and Trickster in the conference room. Mick had wanted to stay there, because of the paperwork about the Rory Foundation for burnt victims. He kept close ties with the Central City hospital...all Rogues did. He informed himself on new treatments, new medicaments, new operation methods...

Piper wrote the sitreps and caught up on this week´s paperwork. They didn´t trust anyone else with computers. He peered down at the stack of papers filled sheet for sheet with neat, clear writing and typed quickly on his silver laptop.

Mick didn´t know why Trickster was still there. His work as the leader was done; everything for tomorrow was organized. He had no need to be here. But he was here; feet propped up on the table, tie loosened, jacket flung into the next corner and a candy bar from the automat in his hand.

James was looking at a computer monitor. He was reading something.

Scrolling down, typing, reading. All with the poker-face. This expression had changed after the tragedy. Years ago, his pokerface had been his enormous grin. No one could look behind that mask.

Now it was a blank expression, revealing nothing about his thoughts.

After an hour Piper shut his laptop and stood up. "I´m leaving, guys." He yawned.

Trickster looked up. "You okay, Piper?"

Piper rubbed at his yes sleepily. "I´m fine, just tired."

"You´re sure? Didn´t you got hit by that creep today?"

"Yes, but so did all of us. No big deal, really."

"Look, Piper, if you need some painkillers-"

Piper smiled a crooked smile. "Yeah...give the guy on anti-depressants even more drugs. Dr Higuri would kill you if she found out."

In Trickster´s eyes flickered something. Pain?

"Honestly, I´m fine Trickster. Hey, Mick, don´t let him annoy you too much."

He handed Trickster the papersheets. "Have fun with that."

Trickster snorted. "What a way to spend Friday evenings. We are getting old, I tell you."

Mick grinned.

Piper left the room.

And Mick pretended not to notice that Trickster had been staring after him for minutes.

Trickster didn´t actually move until Piper had certainly reached his room and had disappeared behind soundproof walls.

"Come on, James. If you still want to pretend, at least pretend better."

"What do you mean?" Trickster asked with a slightly suspicious look.

"There is obviously something going on with you. You have changed, James."

"You know, Mick"

"- this is not going to be one of the I have a friend who has a problem- talks, is it?"

"Nope."

"Then what is it?"

"I...I just. Look, I have this certain situation and-"he broke off.

"Go on," Mick prompted, "is it about this?

"What?"

Mick pointed at the door through which Piper just left. "This?"

"Umm...what?"

Mick exhaled dramatically.

"Mick, I appreciate your help, I really do, but...you can´t help me with that."

"Why don´t you give it a try?"

"I have this certain problem. This is about...I can´t tell you that. It´s nothing...really."

"Stop pretending, Trickster, or at least pretend better. You have become read-able, Trickster."

Trickster looked sheepishly at Heatwave.

He grinned, but in his eyes was fatigue, desperation and he just looked so exhausted. "What should I do? I´m all out of ideas"

Mick had never seen Tricks so ...lost. "Come on, James! It can´t be so bad. Look, if this is about Pi-"

"What?!"

"Come on. It is about him, isn´t it?"

"What do you know?! What do you think you know?!" James face was twisted in rage, but Mick knew that this was in reality just a mask; that James was lashing out to conceal his helplessness.

"Calm down, boy! I´ve known you- both of you- for years. And after the tragedy...it was kinda hard not to notice-"

"Notice what?" he has seemed to cool down. He was quiet and talking with a small voice.

"You love him," stated Mick.

James looked at him, shocked. "How-"

Mick came up to him and placed his hand reassuringly on James´shoulder. "It is obvious. Alone the way you look at him, when you think no one is watching. You´re not the only one here who can read people, Tricks." Mick squeezed lightly.

"And..and..it doesn´t bother you?"

"No." replied Mick with adamantium in his voice. "After all that, we deserve some happiness in our lives. You guys are my friends. What should I have against it?"

"You were always the smart one, Mick."

"James, I don´t get what the problem is really. He likes you. There is hope. No need for you to be desperate. I mean the worst thing that could happen is if he says no..."

"NO!" the rage was back. "You don´t understand anything! The worst, the WORST" he was yelling by now.

"Calm down James."

James took a deep breath.

"What´s the worst, Mick?" he repeated with a grave voice. Then fury. "Damn! You know his condition! It´s hard enough for him to decide what´s reality and what´s not! And now here I come, confessing my...my love..what do you think he will do? What will he think? Mick, if I would say this to you, how would you react?"

"Honestly? I´d think that this is one of your schemes, or that one of us has gone crazy-"

"Exactly, Mick. He´ll just assume that this is not real. If I can´t keep him anchored in this reality, we could lose him. I can only make it worse. There is nothing I can do that won´t harm him. Nothing to make this work. It can´t work!" He clenched his hands into fists and punched the wall. "The only I can do is to do nothing about this at all. Live, as nothing had ever happened. Nothing has ever changed."

Silence.

"This is tricky, I admit that. But, for God´s sake: James, you´ve done impossible things before, why should that stop you now? You are the Trickster! Never forget that."

Mick went to the door.

"Thanks, Mick." James replied with a hollow voice.

"No problem."