Aqualad One-Shots

Connections (xreader)

Written in my last YJ One-Shots book before I deleted it

Rachel sped herself away from the charity ball as fast as she could go. She was no Kid Flash, but after six years, she could go pretty fast in her wheelchair.

By the time the pressuring chatter of society had faded away, Rachel found herself just outside of Alfred's hedge maze.

"At least no one will find me in here," She said, pushing her wheels forward. Typically, she could do it with a flick of her wrist, but she stopped suddenly.

"Wha-" She looked down to see her wheel stopped by a loose tile sticking up out of the otherwise smooth tile path.

"Great."

"Ma'am, are you alright?"

She gasped and looked up. "Oh," She slumped back into her chair. "You must be Aqualad of the Justice League's covert operations team, correct?"

"Yes, but how-?"

"You don't get adopted by someone like Bruce Wayne overnight and not learn a thing or two about good networking and obtaining information." Rachel sighed. She couldn't tell him the truth. If she knew that she was the operations manager for Batman and Robin, it would easily lead him to figuring out Richard and Bruce's secret identities. She had her reputation as a damsel in distress to play.

"Plus, Mister Pennyworth pointed your team out to me when you arrived. Your team really needs to work on your undercover skills. Kid Flash nearly ate the entire buffet and I think Miss Martian was about to shift into the next red carpet design that walked past her." Rachel rolled her eyes.

"I see," If Aqualad- or what was it Rick said his real name was? Calvin?- was embarrassed, he didn't show it.

"You know Miss Grayson-"

"Call me Rachel." She insisted.

"Miss Rachel, then," he amended kindly, "should you not be heading back to the party?"

Rachel laughed, trying to jerk her chair forward and past the loose tile. "Bruce may overreact at the first kidnap threat, but I can handle myself."

"I see," Aqualad repeated himself, and finally Rachel was able to get loose. But when she tried to roll off into the maze, she realized that Aqualad was now holding the handles of her wheelchair, steering her inside the maze instead. To her surprise, he didn't sound patronizing. In fact, she couldn't discern his tone at all. For the moment, she decided to sit back in her chair and relax. It had been a long time since she had let anyone push her around, figuratively and literally.

"I take it the charity balls are not in your interests," he said, prompting a response as they strolled past a fountain.

"I'm interested in running, jumping, swinging, parkour, and reading, only one of which I'm still able to do," she said, smacking the arm of her wheelchair. "And because of this everyone has to take pity on me and tell me I'll get used to it while reminding me that I'm weaker than them and can't do the things most people don't think twice about doing." Her hands gripped into fists.

"And I can push my own chair, thanks you," she said, gripping the rubber wheels to stop them. The rubber burned her hands, but she didn't care. Aqualad's grip slackened, and she shot off with a good push.

He didn't know when to stop, though. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you get in that condition?"

Rachel laughed and stopped for him.

"What rock have you been under?" She shook her head. "Bruce is seriously overestimating your capabilities if you don't care enough to do a serious background on your missions."