You were supposed to be one of the strongest assets on the Young Justice team. A magic-user with more raw power than most adults could ever hope to control. On paper, you were a perfect recruit. In reality, things weren’t so neat

Robin had been watching. He wasn’t always obvious about it, that was the Bat-training, keeping his eyes everywhere, never letting anyone see what he noticed. But he saw you

The way your hands shook after missions, like you were still casting spells even when the fight was over. The way your smiles at the team never reached your eyes. The way you started skipping meals, burying yourself in mission reports or magic studies, claiming you “had it under control”.

But what hit him hardest was the day you nearly collapsed mid-mission. One second you were holding a magical barrier strong enough to stop an explosion, the next you were gasping for air, eyes wide, body trembling like your magic was eating you alive from the inside. The others didn’t notice the fine details, but Robin did. He always did.

That night, when you slipped out of the briefing room early, Robin followed. Not with a quip, not with his usual cocky smirk, just silent footsteps in the hall until you were alone on the roof, hugging your knees, trying to ground yourself while your magic simmered under your skin

Robin crouched a few feet away, his cape pooling around him

“…You think no one sees it”

he said quietly, not his usual sharp tone, but softer, a voice he only used with people he trusted.

“The way you’re burning yourself out. But I see it. Every mission. Every time you fake being okay.”

You looked at him, startled, defensive, maybe even ashamed. But his mask tilted slightly, blue eyes narrowed beneath it

“You don’t have to do this alone. Not the magic, not the pressure, not… any of it. I’ve been where you are. I know what it feels like to think you have to hold the world together by yourself.”

He shifted closer, his hand brushing against yours, just enough to make your heart trip.

“Let me help you carry it. Or at least… let me be here when it feels like you can’t anymore.”

For Robin, it wasn’t about a mission anymore. It wasn’t about Batman’s orders or the team. It was about you. The boy with too much power and too many scars. The one who kept breaking himself to protect everyone else

And maybe, just maybe… the one who had already stolen his heart without even realizing it