November 9; 5:33pm
Robin smiled, leaning on the wall, watching Zatar and Kaldur talk about mystical artifacts, most of which are now found in Atlantis which led to Zatar asking a lot of questions about it with Kaldur trying his best to answer.
Ever since she stormed out of the Mountain after her fight with the Atlantean, the rest of the team started acting usually again with the magician. It was still clear that their friend was hurting, especially since not a week has passed since his father's possession but he seemed to be healing with the help of Diana's counseling sessions and as well as the team's presence and constant assurance that he's not alone.
"He's been doing better," Wally said from her side and she hums in agreement.
Looking at their two teammates once more, Robin pushed herself off the wall and walked out of the room, the redhead following suit. The two of them walked in silence but in the corner of her eyes, Robin can see her best friend fidget as they walked.
"You okay?" she asks, glancing him over. "Did you and Artemis get into another fight?"
Wally sputtered, stopping in his tracks making her stop to turn to look at him. "Why do you immediately assume all my problems have something to do with her?!"
Robin raises an eyebrow at this, smirking at the speedster. "Isn't that, like what, eighty percent of what you complain of since she joined the team?"
Wally made a noise of protest. "That's because I found her annoying," he hissed, his voice low just in case anyone could overhear their conversation. The Girl Wonder smirked in amusement before leading the both of them to her room, the door sliding shut behind them.
She jumped onto the bed and casually removed her sunglasses, knowing there were no video cameras or voice recorders in her room. "From what my brothers tell me, no boy complains so much about a girl unless he has feelings for her."
"W-What?!"
Dixie laughed, "Yeah! I mean not only that, ever since she arrived, the both of you are always together, sure you guys fight, all the time, but none of your fights get out of hand."
"Wha- BUT THE BOTH OF US ARE ALWAYS TOGETHER ALL THE TIME AND WE DON'T FIGHT!" Wally yelled exasperatedly.
Dixie tilts her head, still a bit amused but now curious. "Hmm, guess you're right there. Ever since the team joined, we're able to see each other more and obviously go on more missions together."
"Exactly!" Wally yelled.
"But what does that have to do with your problems with Artemis?"
Wally groaned, "UGH! Whatever! My problem right now has nothing to do with Artemis!"
Dixie hummed, pushing herself up so she's sitting on the bed instead so Wally can sit down. "So what's wrong?"
"You!" Wally yelled.
"Me?" Dixie frowned, now completely confused.
"Yes! Wait! Not like that!" the speedster quickly corrected, realizing how he worded that. "What I mean was that I disappointed you with how I treated Zatar and I just wanted to clear things up!"
"You guys are fine right now, what's there to clear up?" Dixie asked.
Wally makes a noise behind his throat, looking at the ceiling as if he was asking the gods for help. "I- I didn't treat him the way I should have at the start and you were disappointed— rightfully so! And even though things with Zatar are going better now, I just wanted to know how you are!"
"I'm not the one who lost their father," Dixie frowned.
"I know that! But-" Wally stuttered, all energy from a while ago suddenly drained out and he stares right at her, sadness and guilt swimming in his eyes. "I- I can't get out what you said back in Roanoke Island out of my head."
Dixie stares at her best friend, opening her mouth but no words come out. She closes it, eyes trailing to the ground. "I- I'm fine, Wally."
"Obviously not," her best friend insisted, walking down to kneel in front of her, trying to catch her eyes. "I feel like I failed you as a best friend for not realizing how much you've been hurting."
Dixie's breath hitches. She didn't mean to hole this part of herself off, not to her friends and especially not to Wally or her family.
"It's fine, Wally. My brothers and I have been opening to each other about our problems, I'm handling it better now."
Wally stares at her and doesn't say anything but she's suddenly shocked when she's pulled into a tight hug. "Wally?"
"I'll always be here for you," he whispers to her, arms tightening around her. "You were always my first. First idol, first inspiration, first friend, and first best friend. I don't know where I would be if I hadn't met you. No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side even when others aren't."
Dixie stares at him in shock before smiling and returning his hug. The two of them stay there for a couple of minutes before breaking away, the redhead's eyes red like he was about to cry.
"That's sweat for you to say but don't lie," Dixie smiles. "Your first hero and inspiration were obviously the Flash and still is."
"W-Well, yes," Wally stuttered out. "But you were the first hero near my age and gave me the idea and hope of being a hero at such a young age!"
Dixie smiled, "Technically it was my brothers who were the first young heroes."
"C-can you stop that?! You were the first one known to the public, okay?! Just accept it already," Wally complained causing her to laugh.
"Whatever floats your boat," Dixie rolled her eyes before jumping off the bed, grabbing her sunglasses.
"Where are you going?" Wally asks, eyeing her sunglasses.
"Well I thought you knew M'gann was baking cookies and you would want some," Dixie smiled, placing on her sunglasses.
"She is? You should have said that earlier!" Wally smiled and the two of them made their way to the kitchen where M'gann was indeed placing a tray of cookies in the oven, an freshly baked batch already cooling at the kitchen island. Robin had to smack the sneaking hand away causing Wally to withdraw with a pout.
"Oh hey, guys!" M'gann yelled, closing the oven door with her powers before floating over to them. "I just made cookies! I've been experimenting with different flavors so have a try!"
"Thanks, M'gann," Robin smiled taking a cookie. Wally didn't waste a second and ate one whole cookie in one bite.
Robin was about to take a bite out of it when Wally took the cookies out of her hands right before she was going to take a bite. "Hey!"
"There are nuts," he says before eating the cookie he snatched out of her hands.
"Oh, thanks," Robin said, hopping onto the kitchen island, letting her legs dangle.
"You're allergic to peanuts?" Zatar asked, entering the room followed by Kaldur and Artemis.
"Yup, though not as bad as we were younger," Wally shrugged. "It was also because of her allergies that made her addicted to chocolate chip cookies."
"No, it's because of Agent A," Robin punched the speedster's arm.
"His cookies are the best, when's the next time he'll-"
"I'll remember to bring you and the rest of the team when he does," Robin hums.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were allergic to peanuts," M'gann apologized looking sad before brightening. "But the cookies that are baking right now are chocolate chip!"
"It's not your fault that you didn't know I was allergic to peanuts, Miss M," Robin smiled. "If anything, it was mine for not telling you."
"What's with all the cookies by the way?" Zatar asks, eyeing the huge tray of cookies alongside the ones still baking in the oven.
"Oh!" M'gann says, eyes wondering to Wally. "I was just experimenting for- uh…"
"Miss M just really loves baking," Robin jumped in, knowing that the Martian was experimenting with baking since she wanted to try baking a birthday cake for Wally. "You should have been here when we just started, she was baking cookies almost every day!"
"Huh," Zatar says.
You can try some! I made these with the team in mind! Plus I can't possibly eat all these myself!" M'gann yells excitedly for having another person try out her cookies. "Oh! But that's if you aren't allergic to peanuts! If you are the chocolate chip cookies should be done by now."
Just as she says that the alarm settled on the oven goes off, signifying the cookies were indeed done. "Oh! See!"
M'gann quickly pulls them out, putting the hot tray on top of a cork mat. Even though they were still smoking, Robin eyes them but when she hears her best friend chuckle, she turns to smack him in the arm, making him drop the cookie he was eating.
"Hey!"
"How many cookies have you eaten?" Artemis teased, watching him with playful judgment in her eyes.
"Why? Going to comment on how much I eat? Again?" Wally retorted.
"Just asking, I understand that you speedsters have a high metabolism and need to eat a lot but with all the junk food you eat, I question if you're going to die on the job or because of your sugar intake," Artemis shrugged.
"Don't tell me your concerned," Wally teased, earning a scoff from the archer.
"As if," she rolled her eyes.
Robin was watching the both of them in amusement before looking around the group, only now noticing that one of their teammates was not in the room with them. "Hey M'gann, where's Conner?"
"Oh! He's training with Black Canary right now," the Martian smiled. "The cookies should be cool enough to eat already!"
Robin smiled, taking one of the chocolate chip cookies. "Hmm, you added more chocolate chips in this batch than usual," she commented as she took a bite.
M'gann smiled. "Yeah! Like Wally said earlier, I noticed that you also enjoy it when I make chocolate chip cookies so I tried adding a bit more chocolate chips than I usually do. Why? Did I add too much?"
"No, it's fine, just noticed it, that's all," Robin smiled. "Though it would go really well with milk."
"Wow! These are good M'gann!" Zatar complimented as he tried the chocolate chip cookies. "A bit too sweet for me but it would go really well with milk."
The two of them smiled at one another, the magician going to the refrigerator getting a carton of milk while the Girl Wonder hopped off the kitchen island and grabbed two cups from the cupboards.
Zatar pours some milk into the cups and jokingly, Robin brings up the cup in the air. "Cheers, good sir."
"Cheers to you too, mademoiselle," Zatar joined in before the both of them clink their cups one another before drinking their cup of milk before breaking into laughter. Unbeknownst to them, one of their teammates was watching their interactions with calculating eyes.