Chalant Candlelight

Chapter 34

"It wasn't easy but I've diluted the doses enough that slowly I can ease you off of them," Wally held a needle in my arm, while I sat at the Med-Bay table, "It's going to be a painful and long process but you have to kill this addiction," He looks up at my eyes, I nod singularly,

"I'm sorry," I say,

"I know you are," He rested his hand on the side of my face, "But we're here now, we can only go forward," He said to me, I remembered saying that to Artemis in the past,

"Still, I'm so sorry for everything," The guilt I had finally stopped numbing had all come back to me, "For Artemis, for your face, for getting addicted,"

"Robin, you were getting tortured for five monthes straight, you're obviously pretty screwed up in the head right now,"

"That's not an excuse,"

"But if ever there was one," He softly smiled as I took a deep breath,

"Please get back together with Artemis," I say quickly flinching just in case he hits me but he didn't much to my surprise. He stood there a little stunned. Putting both his hands on either side of me, on the table,

The Med-Bay opened and Artemis entered stopping at the sight of Wally and me, Wally quickly pulled the needle from me and I pulled my sleeve down, Wally kind of covered my arm so Artemis didn't see that part,

"Am I- am I interrupting something?"

"Just our affair," Wally joked while wrapping my leg up around his waist as I put my arm to his chest, playing the part,

"You two are crazy," She laughed at our joke,

"Anyway, Robin are you hurt, she approached me and Wally. Wally backing off me,

"No, it's nothing," I wave my hand in front of me,

"He just got sick when we were in Europe," Wally technically didn't lie but he left out most of what happened,

"I did notice that you were under the weather," She puts her hand up to my forehead as I catch her wrist,

"Probably shouldn't do that," I smirk tilting my head over to Wally who watched like a hawk,

"Probably not," Artemis shyly smiled, I let go of her wrist. She turned fully to Wally,

"Here goes nothing," She breathed, "I totally understand if you say no but...Do you want to go to dinner with me?" She said blatantly, making Wally blush,

"Uh, yeah, sure," He said while he awkwardly scratched the back of his head,

"Perfect, I'll pick you up at eight," and just like that Artemis turned around and left, leaving Wally and me in shock,

"Dude," I said dumbfounded,

"Dude!"  He replied just as dumbfounded as I was before we both high-fived.

(Zatanna's POV)

I tried everything to get out of the event, but the foundation my "late" father was a part of was hosting a party at the Wayne manor and the old guys at the foundation refused to take no for an answer, saying that "I had to come" and "keep up appearances" and that they "hadn't seen me in almost a year"-well that last part was true but still. I really tried to get out of it not wanting to see Dick Grayson and be subjected to that amount of awkwardness. A lovesick girl infatuated with a cold tortured playboy, it seemed almost too cliche.

I step into the manor filled with rich pretentious people and grand decorations, as usual. I cascade across the floor in a black dress with red accents. I look for the drinks downing a couple of glasses of champagne so I could make it through the party without having to look for that one guy who always had coke on him, though I'm pretty sure Dick usually got to that guy before anyone else to snort a few lines. I turn to see I wasn't the only one downing drinks as my eyes land on Dick who was filling his bourbon glass and laughing with the surrounding people. He didn't stop pouring until the glass was three-fourths the way full. His laughing not even reaching his eyes as the group all joked around. He wore a black suit with a silk lavender button-up. His eyes past mine before locking on mine. His smile faded before he went back to drinking with his little crowd of admirers.