Beautiful Soul

She was the most beautiful thing that ever came out of the Zeta tube for him. Dark raven hair. Bright blue eyes. Lips that pursed because she was shy. Zatanna Zatara. What a name…It wasn't until he spotted the slight billowing of M'gann's cape that Robin realized he needed to move, quickly.

"HI! I'm Robin!"

Stupid stupid stupid! That was way too fast and way too eager. She must have thought he was some weirdo or something. Way too hyper. Way too awkward. He couldn't really bear to look at her after introducing the rest of the team. But he got curious. As Robin looked back at Zatanna, they made eye contact for just a brief second, before they both blushed and looked away….Wait was she also looking at him? Intrigued, Robin looked back again, only to see Zatanna twirling her hair and staring at the ground. T-that must mean something, right? Of course, the supposed shyness quickly turned into a blazing firecracker.

"Hey! Having a psychic conversation right in front of the newbie? Rude!"

"Why? Be as CHALANT as you like…"

"Hehe. I don't mind a little Wally….as long as it's coming from you."

"Best kidnapping ever. To many more…..if my dad ever lets me out of the house in this lifetime."

There was just something so exciting about this magician. She took charge. She didn't hesitate. She was fun. So, it wasn't really surprising that Robin took his first opportunity to go see her. Technically, he was supposed to patrol the southern side of Gotham. But there just happened to be a Zeta tube set for New York down there. Next thing he knew, Robin was perched atop a fire escape and tapping on a window.

"Robin?!" Zatanna exclaimed as she opened the window, "W-what are you doing here?"

Truth be told, Robin had no plan whatsoever. Most of his brainpower went to hacking the Batcomputer to find the Zatara residence. He honestly didn't think he'd make it this far.

"I uh. You busy?" he stammered.

"No. Why?"

"I uh I dunno."

"Sooo you came all the way to New York to do….what exactly?" she smirked.

"Uhhh are you hungry?" he asked shyly scratching his head.

"Are you asking me out, Boy Wonder?"

"Maybe?"

"Darn…" she playfully pouted.

"Something wrong?"

"Sigh. After our last escapade, my dad grounded me indefinitely. I couldn't go on a date with you even if I wanted to…"

"Wait, you don't want to go out with me?"

"Well, that's irrelevant. I'm grounded. Keep up, Robin."

"Hehe. Well, your dad can't get mad at you if…..you were kidnapped," he winked coming to his senses.

"Now you're speaking my language…"

And so began the first of many kidnappings. That first night, unclear where to go, Robin simply whisked her away to a nearby diner, mainly because it was the only place open at that hour.

"Sooo what cha feelin?" he asked.

"Hmm. I dunno. Waffles?"

"Sure. My treat."

"C'mon, Robin. I can pay for a stack of waffles."

"What do you mean? You're being kidnapped. I'm simply feeding my hostage. Can't have her go starving before I get my ransom now."

"Sigh. Fine," she rolled her eyes after seeing his cheeky smile.

As they shared the crunchy, buttery treat, there was still an air of nervousness between the two. It was like they were waiting for the other to really break the ice. Robin didn't want to come off as eager again despite Zatanna trying to gauge how interested in her he really was.

"So," he finally spoke, "Are you trying to get into hero work?"

"Hmm, maybe. I see my dad do so many cool things with the League. And sometimes he tells me about the adventures you guys have. But he'd always cut those conversations short. Said he wanted to protect me from that world. Ugh, you wouldn't believe the amount of begging I had to do for him to take me to the Cave."

"Haha. You really wanted to meet us?"

"Of course! I even made the classic get all A's deal. I've never studied so hard in my life!"

"But you're supposed to save that card to get a puppy!"

"Heheh I guess. But I liked this deal better. Besides, one could say I met a puppy anyway."

"Huh?"

"Yup. He was so eager, he shoved a poor Martian out of the way to say hi," she winked.

"O-oh…" he blushed feeling completely embarrassed.

"Sorry, hehehe. That was uhh me trying to say you were cute."

"Oh!" he perked up.

"Hehe. Not very chalant of me, was it?"

"No. But it was asterous…"

Of course, when Robin returned home, Batman also grounded him indefinitely, because Batman is always watching. The next kidnapping wasn't for a few weeks, but it was still sweet nonetheless.

"Sooo you guys did a whole mental simulation exercise, but it was real?" she asked as she licked her ice cream cone.

"Yea. Honestly, I just…..I dunno."

"What?"

"Sigh…"

"Robin, you can tell me. It's ok."

"W-when Artemis died, I-I just felt nothing. Not that I wasn't upset or sad or anything. But we just didn't have time. We had to keep going. And I just felt so…cold. Finishing the mission was all that mattered. Beating those aliens was all that was on my mind. But I lost all my friends in the process. I lied to Wally and got him killed. Even if it was a simulation….what I did was still real."

"R-Robin…"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to dampen the mood. Would you like some more ice cream? I brought plenty for-"

She didn't say a word. Instead, she hugged him as tightly as she could. The ice cream dropped onto the ground beneath them, but that didn't matter. Not in this moment.

"I don't think you're a monster, Robin. I think you did the best you could…"

Too stunned to say anything, he simply hugged her back.

The kidnappings became practically a nightly thing. The longest Robin and Zatanna went without seeing each other was only a mere week. Without fail, he'd tap on her window at 11pm, when her father was asleep and Batman assigned him patrol. Quiet movie nights with headphones, stargazing on rooftops, even more waffles! Hanging out together was always the highlight of their nights. And then it all came crashing down…

Zatanna finally got her wish. She was moving into the Cave and got a spot on the Team as a covert superhero. Her dream, however, came true at the cost of her father. For a while, she was bitter and closed off. Conner and M'gann, her co-habitants, tried for days to get her to socialize and eat with them. But the door was always locked. At least the dinner trays M'gann left for her were cleaned out by morning. Robin didn't visit much, believing that she needed some space. Zatanna wasn't as vibrant and glowing as when he first met her, but she still looked beautiful to him all the same. He desperately wanted to reach out but every time they met up for missions, she was cold. One day, Robin wandered about the cave and heard faint sobbing. It was coming from Zatanna's room. Against his better judgement, he hacked her door and walked in. Immediately she turned around. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She was sitting on the bed holding an old picture frame. Robin didn't need much time to realize what was going on. In mere seconds, he had crossed the room and hugged her. Breaking, Zatanna hugged him back and let the tears flow freely. They didn't say anything. He just held her for as long as she wanted…

Today was the day! December 1st! His birthday. Partially to keep up the snobby rich boy façade and partially because he wanted to give Dick a break, Bruce had decided to throw a birthday party for his growing ward. The ol' billionaire rented a house and filled it with TVs, video games, a pool table, and so much more. All of Dick's classmates were invited, and they were welcome to stay as long as they liked. Bruce's only caveat was that no alcohol be present. Easy enough. However, Dick also wanted to invite one more special person. Things had been going so well between them that Dick believed it'd be ok to let Zatanna in on the big secret. He'd wanted to tell her for so long. Telling her his identity would finally break the last barrier between them. They could grow even closer together…he had hoped anyway.

"Hey M'gann?" Robin asked after looking around the Cave, "Where's Zee?"

"Hmm? Oh! Uh shoot. She had mentioned she had plans tonight. A school dance, I think. With uhhhh…..what's the name again? Oh! Tommy and-….Robin?"

He didn't bother listening to the rest. Honestly, he started tuning M'gann out when she had said school dance. By the time he had heard the name Tommy, Robin had vanished. Had he stuck around a bit longer, M'gann would've added that Zatanna was going as a third wheel to Tommy and his girlfriend, Cecily…

Instead, Dick attended the hottest teen party in Gotham. Bruce really spared no expense. An extravagant AirBnB, multiple high-end TV's with Playstations all hooked up. Stacks of pizzas galore. It really was a high schooler's paradise. Unfortunately, Dick was simply going through the motions. He was kinda pouty and closed-off with his guests, despite everyone vibing to the music and games. Nothing seemed to interest him anymore, not even Super Smash Ninjas 5 which wasn't supposed to come out for another four months.

Like any teen movie, there were bound to be certain…..coming-of-age moments. Left on autopilot most of the night, Dick finally came to his senses when he realized he was sitting in a circle. Some of his classmates sat around him like Bette Kane, Amy Rohrbach, Paco Rodriguez, and more. Next to him was none other than Barbara Gordon. Ironically, Dick didn't fully remember how exactly he and Barb met all those years ago, but the how never really mattered. They were two peas in a pod, always sitting next to each other in class, always working on projects together. There was no other girl whom Dick fully trusted his life with…well that would be a lie. Anyway, before he knew it, a bottle in the middle had been spun. A few moments later, the head of the bottle pointed directly at him. Just before Dick could ask who had spun it, he spotted a blushing but shyly smiling Barbara next to him.

"Welp. Dick. Babs. Into the closet you go!" Amy announced pulling on Dick and Barbara's wrists.

The two friends were unceremoniously shoved into the nearest closet with the doors barricaded by a chair.

"Annnd remember! You have to stay in there for seven whole minutes!" Amy reminded the pair before leaving.

"Oh great," Dick rolled his eyes.

"Hehe sorry," Barbara giggled in amusement, "It really is a silly game."

"Maybe. But hey, I'm glad I'm stuck here with you," he tried smiling.

"Same. No one I'd rather be with!"

Dick leaned against the wall while Barbara kept staring at her fingers. He figured they could just wait out the seven minutes and go back to the party. But Babs seemed to have another idea in mind.

"Y'know, we rarely get to see each other like this," she started.

"Huh?"

"Y'know. Just you and me."

"O-oh. Yea."

"You're always busy with something, Dick. We don't hang out as much anymore."

"I'm sorry. I uh just got a lot on my plate."

"I get that. Galas here and there. Private tutoring. Yada yada yada. I just miss you is all. It feels like you're pushing me away…"

"I'm not Barb! Honest! I just erm I've been short on time lately."

"Well, I was wondering…" she scooted closer to him, "If maybe you could make just a little more time for me?"

"B-Barbara?"

"I-I just want to be included, y'know? Continue being a part of your life," she inched ever so closer to his face.

"Of course you're in my life, Barb. You're my best friend. Someone I cherish."

"…Then maybe, we could be….a bit more than friends?"

Before Dick could respond, Barbara had closed the distance between them. It didn't register at first, but her lips had pressed onto his. And it felt…..good. Dick shut his eyes and hugged her tightly, kissing her back with fervor. Ecstatic, Barb now felt confident enough to cup his cheek. It was a first kiss, but there was so much feeling behind the motions. Dick couldn't help but run his fingers through her silky raven hair. Wait. No. Nothing. He pressed forward, surprising her a little. They fell together on the floor breaking the kiss. She landed on her back with Dick caging her underneath his arms. His hand brushed a strand of hair from her face. Her beautiful blue eyes stared back at him…..Hold on? Dick blinked a couple of times and shook the imagery from his mind. Babs had green eyes, not blue. His blood froze. His body shaken. Barbara wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to pull him back down. But he remained staunch. Luckily, the seven minutes were up, and Amy opened the door. Awkwardly, to various "ooo's" and "ahh's", Dick stood up and ran to the bathroom. As he washed his face in the sink, Dick looked up to see his reflection in the mirror. His face was hot and flushed. His hair was messy. He royally royally screwed up just now. But he just couldn't shake the thought from his mind.

"Zee, she's no you…"

The next day, Robin had arrived at the Cave's gym hoping to get a quick warmup in before the next training session with Canary and the Team. His mind was still very raw and worried after what happened the night before. Barbara wouldn't reply to his texts or calls. And in reality, when replaying those events, all he could visualize was him kissing….

"Hey Rob!"

"Huh?"

Right in the center of the gym was Zatanna herself. She was trying to balance herself on an exercise ball with one foot. Robin's throat practically tried up seeing her in a tank top and yoga pants. Her hair was in a messy bun, but he didn't care….until he remembered that she was out with Tommy.

"You're here early," she smiled, "Trying to get a workout in?"

"Uhh sorta. But clearly you need the space," he stuttered ready to turn around and leave.

"C'mon, man. There's plenty of room for the both of us."

"Thanks but uh I kinda need a lot of wide-open space for my routine. You get it. Batman stuff."

"Um. O-ok I guess?"

Finally, he was released and ready to run away from this mind-numbing situation. However…

"WHOA!"

*THUD*

"Zee? Zee you ok!?"

With speed that'd make Wally jealous, Robin whipped his head around and was by her side in an instant.

"You ok?!" he asked worriedly.

"Ahhh. I'm fine. Really!" she winced rubbing her back.

"You sure?"

"Yea! Nothing I can't handle."

To prove she was ok, Zee popped right up and bounced on her feet. Feeling slightly reassured, Robin stood next to her, but still eyed her up and down to make sure she really was ok.

"Like what you see?" she teased.

"Huh?" he turned to hide his blush, "I uh just wanted to make sure you were good. That's all."

"I'm fine. I promise."

"Uh huh. Y'know, I could teach you how to keep your balance a little better."

"Really?"

"Mmm hmm. Here, lift your arms."

"O-ok," she nodded as Robin moved her arms into a T-position.

"A lot of balance really comes from having a good base. You gotta get set first," he crouched down and absentmindedly placed both hands on her leg.

"U-uh…" she blushed as he spread her legs shoulder-width apart.

"Then there's a lot of work with your core," he gradually stood up.

Too focused on coaching her up a bit, Robin kept his hands on her body and traced his way to her waist. Zatanna both trembled and relished the way he felt against her skin.

"There's a bit of core work when you're trying to maintain balance. These muscles work to keep you upright. It's why we do sit-ups and crunches a lot," he explained as his thumbs pressed against her sides.

"R-right. Of course."

Throughout all this, Robin maintained complete tunnel vision. His eyes focused on where his hands were touching and saw nothing else. So, it was a complete shock when he finally looked up and was met with…..Zatanna's chest in his face. Terrified, he immediately jumped backwards and got on his knees to profusely apologize.

"Sorry sorry! I'm so sorry, Zee. I didn't mean to make things weird. I was just trying to help and get you in a proper stance and everything. I didn't mean to-"

"It's ok," she interrupted him.

"Huh?"

"I didn't see anything w-wrong. Y-you were helping me, right?"

"Uhh right. Of course."

"Then we're good."

"Ok. Sure," he nodded finally relaxing, "I'm uh. I'm gonna run to the bathroom for a second. Be right back!"

Turning around, Robin rushed out the door leaving a bewildered Zatanna behind. Biting her cheek, she brought her hands down to where Robin was touching her leg.

"I didn't mind because it was you…"

Since that meet up in the gym, Robin decided to schedule regular training sessions with Zatanna. It was a way to keep them both in shape and devise some combo moves. Secretly, it was also a way for Robin to have a slightly more nonchalant role in Zee's life. He always kept things professional. Clear verbal instructions and enough room between them for the holy spirit. No need to incur the wrath of this Tommy for moving in on his girl. It was almost torture for the Boy Wonder having to constantly remind himself that Zatanna wasn't his. So, he kept a wall between them. They were friendly of course, but he never took it a step further. Fortunately, some good did come out of these training sessions, especially when it was up to the Team to save the Justice League.

"ZEE LOOK OUT!"

In the blink of an eye, Robin dove towards Zatanna, knocking her out of the way as Wonder Woman came barreling down. Midair, he turned so that he'd take the brunt of the fall, letting Zatanna land softly on his chest. The cold hard floor of the Watchtower definitely bruised his back, but he brushed it off so long as Zee was ok.

"Thanks," she panted.

"Anytime. Hey, do you remember multiplexer?"

"Uhhh I think so."

"Let's run it. We've got to slow Wonder Woman down."

"Aye aye, Captain."

Quickly, Zatanna got off of Robin who flipped up into the air. Diana, still under the control of the Light's fancy nanotech, stormed towards the young heroes. With a flick of his wrist, Robin threw a single disc at the charging Amazon.

"Eno ot Ynam," Zatanna chanted (One to Many).

The single disc suddenly turned into many causing Wonder Woman to stop in her tracks and cover her eyes with her arms. Despite bracing for a huge impact, she was surprised to be met with nothing. There was no explosion and there weren't any discs hitting her. Instead, she opened her eyes to see Robin mere inches from her face. He spun quickly and slammed his bo staff right into the side of her head. The staff immediately shattered, but Wonder Woman was swept clean off her feet and knocked to the ground. Robin meanwhile landed on the ground clutching his arm. The force of the impact sent shockwaves right up his bicep causing his whole arm to vibrate. Zatanna meanwhile immediately ran over and administered the cure for Diana before kneeling down with Robin.

"You ok?"

"Gahhhh. Amazons are built like trucks. And I thought hitting Kryptonians hurt," he clenched.

"How can I help?"

"Just gahhh gimme a minute."

Instead of taking his word, Zatanna lifted his affected arm. From his shoulder, her hands gently squeezed his bicep and slowly moved downwards towards his wrist. She repeated this movement several times trying to get the blood flowing back through his arm. Shortly after, he could feel his fingers again and started to flex.

"Better?" she asked.

"Much. Thank you," he nodded clenching his hand into a fist to be sure.

"Then come on. We're not done yet," she stood up pulling him alongside her, "Ready?"

"With you? Always."

After dispatching the rest of the League and injecting the cures, the Team could finally relax and rejoice. The Watchtower's automated system came alive wishing everyone a Happy New Year. As "Auld Lang Syne" played through the speakers, members of the Team paired up for the traditional New Year's kiss. Wally picked Artemis up in his arms. M'gann and Conner naturally came together for their kiss as they had done many times before. Even Raquel walked over to place a chaste peck on Kaldur's cheek. With everything happening around him, Robin could barely look at the beautiful girl standing next to him. Every fiber in his body wanted to reach out and pull her into a kiss. But she wasn't his. They were just friends. Too caught up in his own mind, poor Robin didn't notice Zatanna staring daggers into the back of his head. In fact, he was about to walk towards Wally and give him shit about finally kissing Artemis when…

"WHOA?! MMPH…."

W-what was going on? What was this? What was this feeling? Lips were on his. They tasted like cherry. But who? The only person next to him was….oh. Suddenly, Robin relaxed. His mind melted into the bliss he was feeling. His arms wrapped around her waist as he matched the energy of her kiss. This wasn't a quick friend-to-friend New Year's kiss. There was feeling behind it, almost as if pent-up energy was finally being released. After what felt like the greatest eternity ever, they parted for air. She was absolutely beaming, giddy with excitement.

"Finally," she whispered, "I've been wanting to kiss you since forever."

"M-me too," he smiled back, "W-wait? But I thought?"

"Hmm?"

"But what about Tommy?"

"What about him?"

"I-I mean. I know technically I don't exist to him, but won't he be mad?"

"Why would he be mad?"

"Y-you're his girlfriend!"

"…"

"…"

"…heheheheh," she giggled hysterically.

"Zee!"

"Sigh. Oh my God. This makes soooo much sense now!"

"Huh? What?"

"Why you've been keeping your distance but teetering on the edge."

"I uh Zee you gotta help me here."

"Robin, I have a friend named Cecily."

"Ok…"

"Tommy is her boyfriend. They are both my friends from school."

"Ohhhhhh," his eyes widened in realization, "But then what about you? And me? And us..."

"You really don't see it?" she smirked slightly.

"Uhhh."

"Robin, I'm YOUR girlfriend….if you'll have me of course."

As if God himself finally smack him on the head, Robin couldn't help but grin ear to ear. He realized that the only thing holding him back was himself. Looking into her deep blue eyes, Robin finally admitted to himself that she was all he ever wanted. He couldn't explain it, how she swept him off his feet so unexpectedly. His mind was running in slow motion as his imagination ran wild.

"I-I can't believe this is real," he whispered.

"Believe it, Boy Wonder. I finally have you right where I want you…"

TEN YEARS LATER

It was a chilly morning. The heater did the best it could, but nothing could beat cozying up in a warm, heavy blanket. Dick stirred a little, feeling the cool pillowcase beneath his cheek. He tried not to move too much. Her show ran late last night, so he wanted to let her sleep in as much as possible. The cold however had other plans. She turned to snuggle her face closer to his chest. Her hands griped his shirt as tightly as they could both keeping him in place and pressing her as flush to him as possible. Smiling, Dick couldn't help but rub his nose in her raven hair. She mumbled something as he took in a quick whiff of her lavender shampoo.

"Hmm? What did you say?" he asked.

"I'm cold," she reiterated.

"Come here."

He hugged her even more tightly and lifted his leg to cocoon her. Happy, she nuzzled her face into the neck as he shifted the comforter to cover their faces. The tops of their heads were just barely peeking out.

"Better?"

"Mmmm much. Mainly because I'm with you."

"Of course. What was it you called it?"

"Hehe performing your boyfriend duties of being my personal heater."

"That's rather specific."

"Hehehe well it's true."

"Well yea. But, Zee, you could just conjure up a heater spell."

"Hnnnnn that's too much work," she whined, "Besides, I'd much prefer cuddling with you."

"We have to get up eventually…"

"No we don't!"

*GROWLLLLL*

Not wanting to give him the satisfaction, Zatanna buried her face even further into his chest to hide her blush. She could just feel him mischievously snickering.

"You were saying," he smirked.

"Pft…."

"Waffles?"

"…..Yes please."

"On it, milady."

"Hey. Wait a sec," she asked grabbing his shirt to hold him down.

"Hmm? Everything ok?"

"C-can I ask you a stupid question?"

"Can I give a stupid answer?"

"Sigh. N-never mind," she turned and faced her back towards him.

"Hey hey. I'm sorry. What's on your mind?" he cooed spooning and hugging her tightly from behind.

"A-are you really happy? With me?"

"Of course! Why would you ask that?"

"I-I dunno. Sometimes I wonder why you've stuck with me all these years. Sometimes I feel like you can do better. Better than me…"

"Zee, Zatanna. Give me your hand."

"O-ok," she nodded giving him her left hand.

"You see this?" he asked letting the stone on her finger twinkle in the sunlight, "This is living, physical proof that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I just want you, Zatanna. You make me happy every single day. I want all of you. Good, bad, strengths, faults. I want it all."

"D-Dick…"

"We've been through a lot these past ten years. But I wouldn't change any of it. Because it led us right to this moment. Right here. We've grown together, fallen together, cried together, but most importantly loved together. We've been through ups and downs, and we'll go through even more challenges. But as long as I'm with you, Zee, I'm happy, more than happy."

"D-do you mean it?" she turned around to look into his eyes.

"Every word. Zee, I don't want another pretty face. I don't want just anyone to hold," he kissed her nose, "I've lost so many people in my life. My parents, Jason, Wally. I give my all when I love someone. So, I don't want my love to go to waste. Please believe me, Zee. You're the one I want to chase. You're the one I want to hold. I just want you. You and your beautiful soul."

"Hehehe," she giggled, "I-I gotta be honest. That was so corny."

"Hey now! I spoke from the heart. Am I crazy for wanting you?"

"Haha no of course not. It's still corny, but coming from you, hearing your voice say those words. It feels so right. So perfect."

"Do you believe me then?"

"Yes. I love you, Dick Grayson. Just like you, I want to be what you always need. You bring me to life every single day. And I promise to do the same for you."

"Good. So we're on the same page then?"

"Mmm hmm. I don't know what I'd do without you, Dick."

"Zee, because you live, there are twice as many stars in the sky…"

AN: Beautiful Soul - Jesse McCartney

Hahaha YESSSSS the meme finally arrived. Beautiful Soul by Dick Grayson er I mean Jesse McCartney is officially in the Playlist.

As so completes the two-part Valetine's Day arc. So so sorry for being a day late, but then again if you've been reading my stuff, you'd know I'm never on time.

Admittedly this chapter from Dick's perspective is much meatier and more fleshed out...cuz I had more time to think about it haha. I wrote "Coffee" before my big exam so I sorta kinda wrapped that one up quickly. Hopefully I was able to convey here how Dick so very much wanted to cross that line and be with Zee, but things kept holding him back.

Also! I littered this fic with Jesse McCartney references hahha

I hope you all enjoyed the two chapters! Feel free to comment. I'd love to hear all your thoughts :)

P.S. I know I teased another Jonas Brothers' song a while back. That's still on the docket, but Valentine's Day took priority haha. I have three more chapters planned for the Playlist. It's going to be EPIC. :)