Mending. [Young Justice, The team]
Title: Mending.
Fandom: Young Justice Animated.
Warnings: Spoilers for Disordered.
Contents: Traumatized baby heroes, sleepovers, movies, cuddling. Lots and lots of cuddling.
Characters/couples: Artemis, Dick Grayson, Wally West, M'gann M'orzz, Kaldur'ahm, Conner Kent. Hints of everyone/everyone.
Summary: “What would someone normal do if they were sad? They'd spend time with their friends, watch dumb movies, be kids about it”
Rating: G.
Notes: Written because these kids needed all the hugs and they weren't getting them.
Mending.
Dick came out only to find Artemis pushing away the table over the living room, her jacket and boots off. She looked pissed, the way she had been looking since the failed exercise, a certain tightness in her jaw that, somehow, he didn't think that some feng shui would fix.
“Artemis?”
“Good! Here, help with those chairs, would you?”
Utterly confused, he did as was told, making more room.
“Why are we doing this?” he asked, helping her move the desk and then prop it up so that the living room floor was free. “We already have a training area.”
“It's not for training, you dork,” Artemis huffed, then pointed towards the wall: their sleeping bags were pilled there, and, as he tried to piece part a and b, Artemis began pulling the cushions from the couches, dropping them off. “We're having a sleepover.”
“We. Are?” He felt a small smile at that, even as he tried hard not to seem mocking about the idea. “You do know we have rooms here, right? I mean, we can't really have a sleepover when there's a bed nearby.”
“Sure we can and sure we will,” Artemis was still kind of glaring, and Dick tried hard not to remember how she had died, the way M'gann had cried, Wally's anger. “Look, Robin, what do you usually do if you feel bad about something?”
“Train until I can't think straight?”
And the sad part was... that he wasn't lying about that.
Artemis looked at him in an odd way. Not pitting - he would've reversed fast on his not-mocking thing if she had - but in something that spelled familiarity which he could understand, even if she couldn't get why he did. But instead, some of the anger disappeared and Artemis smiled at him.
“Okay, fair point. What would someone normal do if they were sad?” And before he could reply, Artemis shrugged. “They'd spend time with their friends, watch dumb movies, be kids about it” Artemis said, and it almost sounded as if she was sure of it. “No explosions, no guns, definitely not Disney because there's a masochist planning them. Just dumb, fun movies and we'll eat junk food - that is, if Wally leaves us anything - and maybe gossip or just do truth and dare and make it all about stupid dares and don't talk about anything serious, just be friends hanging out and having fun.”
Make sure they were still alive and well.
Dick felt himself smiling and then grinning, nodding, bringing out his cellphone. “I'll go and order some pizza.”
*
“A sleepover? Really?” Wally was still eating popcorn. “Are we girls?”
Artemis' elbow knocked into Wally's solar plexus, making him cough. “Yes, we are.”
Dick would've laughed, but a very pale looking M'gann seemed, for the first time in over a week, almost herself as she smiled tentatively.
“I've seen a lot of shows where it's an important occassion. Should I make something for us to eat?”
“More popcorn and we should grab sodas and juice,” Artemis smiled as well. “Kaldur, what kind of movies do you like?”
“Red Arrow tends to prefer movies like Robin Hood, I believe he's called? ”
“He would. Okay, Pixar is a go, and Braveheart and Matrix--”
“No Matrix,” that was both Wally and him, and it seemed it took Artemis a moment, but then her eyes widened when she got just why a movie that was set into an artificial world wouldn't be well receieved just then.
“Keanu Reaves is way overrated anyway,” Artemis shrugged, then looked at M'gann and her smile turned kinder. “Anything you want to see, M'gann?”
“I could show you some of my favorites.”
“Oh, man, no chick flick movies!”
This time it was his elbow connecting with Wally's side.
*
They started the movie each on their own sides. They had spread the sleeping bags, they had soda and popcorn and pizza, and each of them made sure that no-one was touching anyone else.
And then, by the middle of the first movie, M'gann started crying. It wasn't obvious: she made no sound at all, so it was only when Artemis stood up to hug her that he noticed. She was still in human camouflage and that and her Hello Kitty pajamas. for some reason, made her seem vulnerable in ways that Dick couldn't explain.
Artemis sat besides her and pulled her close without a word, M'gann clinging as she cried. Wally made to stop the movie but Dick shook his head and, instead, stood up as well, going towards Kaldur where he was sitting, hands clenched, remembering what he had thought, what he had said in that reality, how Kaldur's sacrifice hadn't been good.
And instead he offered his hand to his leader and offered him a smile as he whispered.
“C'mon, boss. Your team needs you.”
The raw emotion on Kaldur's eyes made Dick glad that he was wearing his shades, but he kept his hand offered until Kaldur took it to stand up, then moving towards the girls. Kaldur moved behind them, a quiet strength that could support them even in their pain and sadness and leave, of course, no-one who'd support his. Dick thought of remarking on that, and instead just moved behind M'gann, offering a smile to Artemis, not quite hugging M'gann but staying there, his side against her.
Wally looked at them for a moment before he moved and flopped down right over Artemis and M'ganns lap, his head nested there.
“Wally!”
“Best seat in the house”.
He thought that Artemis was going to make Wally move, but then they heard something they all had missed for a very long week: M'ganns laugh.
*
Conner found them like that, all of them unwilling to move or do anything and his face was priceless.
“Dude! You're a godsend!” Wally said, making grabby hands towards the pile of pizza. “Hand over some ham and cheese and some pepperonni.”
“What are you--”
“Movie night,” M'gann said. She sounded just a little more like herself, still nested by Artemis shoulder and still human-looking, but at least smiling and, occassionaly laughing. “Artemis thought it'd be a good idea.”
“I did and it is, if we could get some of that pizza over here.”
“Why don't you join us, my friend,” Kaldur offered. “We're about to see... Toy Story, was it?”
There was something odd over Conner's face and Dick worried, for a moment, that he was going to say no. But then he sighed, moved to grab the stack of pizzas and drop them over the couch, then moving to sit there so that Kaldur's back was leaning against his legs and if hadn't involved moving, Dick could've kissed Conner for the symbolism of that action even if he was, also, kinda sure that Conner had had no idea.
“It better not be about monkeys,” Conner said.
Dick glanced at Artemis, who was still hugging M'gann in a way that made it clear that if anyone made her cry again then Artemis WAS gonna flay the skin outta their backs with her arrows, to Wally, who had one hand rubbing softly, slowly at Artemi's ankle, to Kaldur who hadn't moved his hands from Artemis and M'ganns shoulders not once, not even to drink or eat, and to Conner, who as sad as his eyes looked was there and he moved to squeeze Artemi's wrist just once, offering her a smile for a perfect idea.
“Dude,” he said, hitting play. “You're gonna love it.”
Fandom: Young Justice Animated.
Warnings: Spoilers for Disordered.
Contents: Traumatized baby heroes, sleepovers, movies, cuddling. Lots and lots of cuddling.
Characters/couples: Artemis, Dick Grayson, Wally West, M'gann M'orzz, Kaldur'ahm, Conner Kent. Hints of everyone/everyone.
Summary: “What would someone normal do if they were sad? They'd spend time with their friends, watch dumb movies, be kids about it”
Rating: G.
Notes: Written because these kids needed all the hugs and they weren't getting them.
Mending.
Dick came out only to find Artemis pushing away the table over the living room, her jacket and boots off. She looked pissed, the way she had been looking since the failed exercise, a certain tightness in her jaw that, somehow, he didn't think that some feng shui would fix.
“Artemis?”
“Good! Here, help with those chairs, would you?”
Utterly confused, he did as was told, making more room.
“Why are we doing this?” he asked, helping her move the desk and then prop it up so that the living room floor was free. “We already have a training area.”
“It's not for training, you dork,” Artemis huffed, then pointed towards the wall: their sleeping bags were pilled there, and, as he tried to piece part a and b, Artemis began pulling the cushions from the couches, dropping them off. “We're having a sleepover.”
“We. Are?” He felt a small smile at that, even as he tried hard not to seem mocking about the idea. “You do know we have rooms here, right? I mean, we can't really have a sleepover when there's a bed nearby.”
“Sure we can and sure we will,” Artemis was still kind of glaring, and Dick tried hard not to remember how she had died, the way M'gann had cried, Wally's anger. “Look, Robin, what do you usually do if you feel bad about something?”
“Train until I can't think straight?”
And the sad part was... that he wasn't lying about that.
Artemis looked at him in an odd way. Not pitting - he would've reversed fast on his not-mocking thing if she had - but in something that spelled familiarity which he could understand, even if she couldn't get why he did. But instead, some of the anger disappeared and Artemis smiled at him.
“Okay, fair point. What would someone normal do if they were sad?” And before he could reply, Artemis shrugged. “They'd spend time with their friends, watch dumb movies, be kids about it” Artemis said, and it almost sounded as if she was sure of it. “No explosions, no guns, definitely not Disney because there's a masochist planning them. Just dumb, fun movies and we'll eat junk food - that is, if Wally leaves us anything - and maybe gossip or just do truth and dare and make it all about stupid dares and don't talk about anything serious, just be friends hanging out and having fun.”
Make sure they were still alive and well.
Dick felt himself smiling and then grinning, nodding, bringing out his cellphone. “I'll go and order some pizza.”
*
“A sleepover? Really?” Wally was still eating popcorn. “Are we girls?”
Artemis' elbow knocked into Wally's solar plexus, making him cough. “Yes, we are.”
Dick would've laughed, but a very pale looking M'gann seemed, for the first time in over a week, almost herself as she smiled tentatively.
“I've seen a lot of shows where it's an important occassion. Should I make something for us to eat?”
“More popcorn and we should grab sodas and juice,” Artemis smiled as well. “Kaldur, what kind of movies do you like?”
“Red Arrow tends to prefer movies like Robin Hood, I believe he's called? ”
“He would. Okay, Pixar is a go, and Braveheart and Matrix--”
“No Matrix,” that was both Wally and him, and it seemed it took Artemis a moment, but then her eyes widened when she got just why a movie that was set into an artificial world wouldn't be well receieved just then.
“Keanu Reaves is way overrated anyway,” Artemis shrugged, then looked at M'gann and her smile turned kinder. “Anything you want to see, M'gann?”
“I could show you some of my favorites.”
“Oh, man, no chick flick movies!”
This time it was his elbow connecting with Wally's side.
*
They started the movie each on their own sides. They had spread the sleeping bags, they had soda and popcorn and pizza, and each of them made sure that no-one was touching anyone else.
And then, by the middle of the first movie, M'gann started crying. It wasn't obvious: she made no sound at all, so it was only when Artemis stood up to hug her that he noticed. She was still in human camouflage and that and her Hello Kitty pajamas. for some reason, made her seem vulnerable in ways that Dick couldn't explain.
Artemis sat besides her and pulled her close without a word, M'gann clinging as she cried. Wally made to stop the movie but Dick shook his head and, instead, stood up as well, going towards Kaldur where he was sitting, hands clenched, remembering what he had thought, what he had said in that reality, how Kaldur's sacrifice hadn't been good.
And instead he offered his hand to his leader and offered him a smile as he whispered.
“C'mon, boss. Your team needs you.”
The raw emotion on Kaldur's eyes made Dick glad that he was wearing his shades, but he kept his hand offered until Kaldur took it to stand up, then moving towards the girls. Kaldur moved behind them, a quiet strength that could support them even in their pain and sadness and leave, of course, no-one who'd support his. Dick thought of remarking on that, and instead just moved behind M'gann, offering a smile to Artemis, not quite hugging M'gann but staying there, his side against her.
Wally looked at them for a moment before he moved and flopped down right over Artemis and M'ganns lap, his head nested there.
“Wally!”
“Best seat in the house”.
He thought that Artemis was going to make Wally move, but then they heard something they all had missed for a very long week: M'ganns laugh.
*
Conner found them like that, all of them unwilling to move or do anything and his face was priceless.
“Dude! You're a godsend!” Wally said, making grabby hands towards the pile of pizza. “Hand over some ham and cheese and some pepperonni.”
“What are you--”
“Movie night,” M'gann said. She sounded just a little more like herself, still nested by Artemis shoulder and still human-looking, but at least smiling and, occassionaly laughing. “Artemis thought it'd be a good idea.”
“I did and it is, if we could get some of that pizza over here.”
“Why don't you join us, my friend,” Kaldur offered. “We're about to see... Toy Story, was it?”
There was something odd over Conner's face and Dick worried, for a moment, that he was going to say no. But then he sighed, moved to grab the stack of pizzas and drop them over the couch, then moving to sit there so that Kaldur's back was leaning against his legs and if hadn't involved moving, Dick could've kissed Conner for the symbolism of that action even if he was, also, kinda sure that Conner had had no idea.
“It better not be about monkeys,” Conner said.
Dick glanced at Artemis, who was still hugging M'gann in a way that made it clear that if anyone made her cry again then Artemis WAS gonna flay the skin outta their backs with her arrows, to Wally, who had one hand rubbing softly, slowly at Artemi's ankle, to Kaldur who hadn't moved his hands from Artemis and M'ganns shoulders not once, not even to drink or eat, and to Conner, who as sad as his eyes looked was there and he moved to squeeze Artemi's wrist just once, offering her a smile for a perfect idea.
“Dude,” he said, hitting play. “You're gonna love it.”