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The team was actively in the heat of battle. They were fighting on the docks of a suspected human-trafficking port in the freezing temperatures of Antarctica.
‘I may need some back up over here pretty soon!’ Artemis shouted over the comm. system from her position atop a shipping crate.
‘Understood. Robin, provide her with backup when you are able.’ Kaldur replied.
‘Got it. I’ll be there in less than two minutes, Artemis. Just hold out until then.’
However, when the promised two minutes were up, Robin was still no where to be seen.
‘Robin, where are you?! It’s been two minutes!’
…
‘Robin, come in. Where are you?’ Kaldur interjected.
…
‘I’ll go look for him.’ Wally declared.
'No. For now, focus on your fights and keep an eye out for him. Once we have cleared the field enough, we will go looking for him.’
‘What?! Kaldur-‘ Wally started only to get cut off.
‘It is not ideal, but it is what we must do. Robin must take care of himself until we can get to him.’
Instead of trying to argue further, they all relented and continued fighting—if not at a faster pace.
‘Alright, everyone in my section is down. I’m going to look for Robin.’ Wally stated not even a minute later.
‘Understood.’
After what felt like an eternity later, the fight ended.
‘Wally, have you been able to locate Robin?’ Kaldur asked.
‘No! I don’t get it! I’ve searched the entire docks!’
‘Keep looking. I will check the water.’
Wally’s blood ran cold. He hadn’t even thought about the water. But if he’d been in the water that long then… No, he wouldn’t allow himself to go there. Not yet.
Kaldur reached the docks, then dived into the icy water. Less than a minute later, he found him.
‘I have found him. I am bringing him back up to the surface now.’
Wally didn’t need to be told twice. He bolted to the docks where he’d seen Kaldur jump off and anxiously waited for them to emerge.
When they did, Wally was met with a sight that would haunt him for years to come.
Robin was uncharacteristically still, his skin ashen, lips tinted blue. Kaldur lifted the boy out of the water and up towards Wally. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around the unconscious boy and hauled him onto the docks.
They landed with a thud, Robin now laying partially on top of Wally.
“Robin, hey, can you hear me? Robin!” Wally desperately tried to wake him, shaking his shoulder gently throughout his attempt.
Robin didn’t budge.
It was then that Wally finally realized that Robin’s chest wasn’t moving.
That Robin wasn’t breathing.
Immediately, he scrambled out from underneath the Boy Wonder and into action. He opened Robin’s airway by tilting his head and lifting his chin, then began administering CPR.
Wally repeated his training in his head like a mantra.
5 rescue breaths, 30 chest compressions, 2 rescue breaths, repeat.
While doing chest compressions, Wally couldn’t help but feel overwhelming guilt as he felt Robin’s ribs crack beneath the pressure.
Luckily, however, Robin responded during the third rescue breath he was administering on the second round of CPR. Wally pulled back as Robin lurched up from where he was lying and began coughing up all the water he’d ingested.
Wally wrapped an arm around his back as he heaved. “It’s ok. You’re ok, Robin.” He muttered as he rubbed reassuring circles on his back.
He wasn’t sure if he was saying that more to Robin, or to himself.
Artemis crouched down on Robin’s other side, pulling him out of his thoughts. She couldn’t help but reel back when her hand touched him.
“Holy shit, you’re freezing!”
“C-Cold water’ll.. do that to a p-p-person…” Robin weakly joked as he recovered from coughing up all the water.
“We need to find shelter. We are not scheduled for pick up for another few hours and Robin will not survive like this in these conditions.” Kaldur stated, standing behind them with his arms crossed in thought.
“I think I remember seeing a few houses on our way here. We could try those first?” Artemis suggested.
“Agreed. We will try the houses first and look for caves along the way as well. Robin, are you well enough to move?”
“Well enough to move? Kaldur, he just drowned!” Wally shouted.
Kaldur paused. “…You are right. My apologies, I seem to have forgotten for a moment that you are not an Atlantean.” He apologized as he walked up closer, then stooped down and picked Robin up.
Robin, startled at the sudden loss of contact with the ground, jerked a bit and jostled his ribs. Despite his best efforts, a slight cry of pain escaped him as he curled in protectively on himself.
“Are you alright?”
“F-Fine. Just jarred my ribs a bit…”
Kaldur nodded in understanding and filed a mental note to be mindful of his injuries during their trek.
“Artemis, I trust you remember where these houses were, or the general vicinity. Lead the way.”
“On it.” She replied as she turned and began leading them off the docks. Kaldur followed behind with Robin in his arms and Wally at his side, nervously glancing at Robin.
____________________
After around 40 minutes of walking and two no-go’s on their hunt for shelter, they stumbled upon a seemingly abandoned house.
After confirming their suspicions that the place was in fact abandoned, they began settling in for their stay.
“Wally, I want you to take Robin and work on getting his body temperature back up. Artemis and I will go looking for firewood and something to eat.” Kaldur delegated before carefully transferring Robin into Wally’s arms.
Wally couldn’t help the burning question that escaped him. “..Why me?”
“Because you know him the best and he trusts you the most.”
‘And because you two clearly have feelings toward each other.’ Kaldur thought to himself as he turned and walked back outside.
Despite sensing that Kaldur had other reasons, he dropped it and decided to focus on Robin. Even though they were out of the direct wind and cold, the boy was still violently shivering.
Turing on his heel, he walked further into the house and searched for a bathroom. When he found one, he walked in, turned on the light, closed the door, then carefully set Robin down on the toilet seat.
“Just hang in there, Rob. I’ll get you warmed back up in no time, ok?” Wally reassuringly smiled as he reached behind the shower curtain and turned the faucet on to ‘hot’. After deeming it to be warm enough, he began filling the tub.
Turning back to Robin, he placed his hands on his knees and dragged his sluggish gaze towards himself. “I’m going to undress you now, ok?”
Robin looked at him a bit puzzled before shrugging slightly and nodding.
After receiving a clear sign of consent, Wally started carefully shedding the soaked layers of Robin’s polar stealth gear off his shaking frame, leaving him in his underwear.
When the tub was filled, he turned the water off then helped Robin get into the tub.
The boy slowly sat down, then sank into the warmth of the bath.
“Feel any better?”
“Much…” Robin sighed as the water warmed his hypothermic body.
After a few minutes of silence, Wally spoke up.
“Hey, Rob..?”
“Yeah?”
“…What happened back there?”
Robin looked at him, then looked back down at the water.
“Honestly, I don’t really remember… I remember heading over to help Artemis, then nothing except for cold and pain…”
Wally nodded as he took in what he said, then sighed and let a smile take over his face. “Well, regardless of what led up to that, I’m just glad you’re ok.”
Robin smiled. “Thanks..”
Wally took a breath then stood up. “Alright, time to get out. You’re starting to look like a prune.”
Robin groaned. “Five more minutes?”
Wally laughed before looking around. “Ok, not five minutes, but maybe like one minute while I go find you a towel and change of clothes.”
“I’ll take it.”
Wally started out of the bathroom before stopping. “Don’t drown while I’m gone, 'kay?”
Robin smirked as he flipped him off. “Smartass.”
Wally smiled and walked out.
He wasn’t completely joking.
____________________
Now dry and in dry clothes, Robin sat on the couch huddled under some blankets. Although the warm bath helped, his body temperature was still a bit low and he was still struggling to retain body heat.
Wally strolled into the living room, mask now pulled back to reveal his face. “Still cold?”
“A bit.” Robin smiled, exhaustion clear on his features.
“Mind if I try something?”
Robin gave him a curious glance before quickly conceding. “Sure, go ahead.”
Wally smiled then rounded the couch and lifted the blankets.
Robin looked at him like a kicked puppy, thinking that he was stealing his blankets away from him.
Ignoring Robin’s unnecessary thoughts of betrayal, Wally continued what he was doing and sat down beside the Boy Wonder then settled the blankets back down over them both.
The look of betrayal was wiped off his face as he realized what was going on. Wally draped an arm around Robin’s shoulders, inviting him to lean against him. Robin gladly accepted and leaned in, resting his head on Wally’s chest.
“You’re like a fucking furnace.” Robin commented as he closed his eyes and tried to lean further into the warmth.
Wally couldn’t help but laugh. “Perks of being a speedster?”
“Pfft- yeah, duh! Screw superspeed, I’ll take superheat!” He joked.
After getting fully settled, the two of them sat in silence and enjoyed each other’s presence.
Their heartbeats.
Their breathing.
Their signs of life.
“Hey, Wally…?” Robin muttered, voice heavy with sleep.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you…”
Wally leaned down and kissed his head.
“Always.”