Meaning: Optimism, creativity


He found her in the cave's library today, going through old spellbooks to research ways to free her father from Nabu's grasp. Not wholly unexpected; this was the fifth time in the past two weeks she'd been here.

The magician had her head buried in a thick book, and Dick took quick note of the dozens of scripts and scrolls littered around the room messily.

It's fine, he thought. He'll give Wally a box of Chicken Whizzies to clean it up.

She was so into her reading, in fact, that she didn't even notice when he approached her from behind and gently began to massage her exhausted shoulders. He leaned down to kiss her head and started to gently tug at her.

"C'mon. Let's go."

"I'm not done yet."

"It's already 3:00. Take a break."

"But I-"

"If it helps, I'm not giving you a choice."

She rolled her eyes but didn't fight back when he closed the book on her and helped her out of the chair, throwing an arm around her waist to lead her out of the dusty old library.


There's a small balcony on the outside of the cave that virtually nobody else knows about. This makes it the perfect getaway spot whenever one of them wants some peace and quiet.

She's now resting her head on his chest as they lie down on the floor watch the clouds pass by. His heartbeat is a constant rhythm, and its tune keeps her brain spinning with ideas.

"Okay, I got something."

"Mhm?" She lazily stretches out her arms like a cat, and he takes a moment to admire how soft her skin feels on his.

"What if…I plant a massive cake in his room on the Watchtower. Next time he goes there, he'll see the cake and wanna eat it. But in order to eat it he's gotta take the helmet off."

Dick snorts. "Never pegged Dr. Fate as a sweet tooth."

"We'll get him a red velvet cake."

"The worst kind."

"And hide some vegetables inside, too."

That finally gets Dick to giggle, and the vibrations from his chest force Zatanna to crack a smile and weakly join him.

The cold gusts of air pick up speed, and he gently squeezes her into him to try and keep warm. A cold silence cuts through the air, and Dick notes how one of the clouds flying above their heads looks suspiciously like a pair of birds flying alongside one another.

Maybe it's just his imagination.

The edges of his lips begin to curl upwards when she yawns into his neck, and he rests his head on a pillow of raven-black hair. "We'll get your dad outta there somehow, Zee. I have faith."

She snorts. "Faith in Fate."

Dick rolls his eyes and kisses her forehead, and she drops her eyelids shut and curls up into a ball next to him, perfectly content to stay there for the rest of the day.

"Thank you."

She typically tries to stay hopeful, but when that hope wavers she's fortunate he's got enough optimism for the both of them.