𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐘 ― d. grayson ¹

⤷ seven

"You're about four years too late, but sure," her tone, although it was showing clear sarcasm, remained sweet, the commissures of her lips holding up on their place. Her pale frame moved away from the entrance, permitting them to enter her household.

Rachel gawked at the huge apartment, her childish eyes taking in a new environment, watching it gracefully, contemplating every single detail. The three adults stood not too far away, looking at her enjoy such a small thing. Robin did not bother to hold back a smile, seeing her joyous burst bubbles of delight on her chest.

"We should head upstairs, to the roof. Hank's made me a pigeon coop. Come on," Dawn nodded her head towards the door they had recently walked in through. Robin called out for the girl, joining the pair of friends out, where they entered the stairs that led to the roof. As Dawn's hand pushed the thin metal door open, they were met with a simple area to spend time. There was a bench not too far away from the door and the structure Dawn mentioned a few feet away.

Nothing needed to be said, Robin simply got the cue to leave them both alone so they could talk after years of missing one another's presence. She took Rachel with her to meet the Columbidae cage, not sure of who was more eager to face the animals.

The birds flapped their wings around the enclosure, moving from one side to another, some of them curious about the two visitors, other scared, flying away. Rachel played with her finger, poking it inside the small holes of the cage, getting the attention of a few. She smiled at the small animals, letting out a chuckle from time to time whenever they did something cute or funny.

Near the bench, Dick and Dawn had begun talking, maybe a little too loud. "She killed someone?" The blonde wondered out loud. Rachel's smile slowly dropped at the question, she cleared her throat uneasily. Robin heaved out a sigh and shot a glare at the pair. "She's just a kid," were their last words heard before Dick noticed her angry glance and pulled Dawn to sit on the bench, voices lowering down.

Her gaze fell back to the fluttering birds, catching glimpse of Rachel's saddened face. She moved her hand away from the cage and gently laid it on the girl's shoulder. "Hey, you just ignore them. They are worried about you."

"They're scared," Rachel responded neutrally, seeming unaffected by the conversation they overheard. Her small fingers kept on playing with the birds. "I get it. I sometimes scare myself, too. Everyone should just run away from me."

"Don't say that," Robin chocked out, running out of words to relieve a teenager with her history. "You've got enough in your head, don't think for others. I can assure you we are not scared of you. I'm not, cause I went through the same. It's scary at first, but with the right people, you might start a path to control which leads to confidence. And then, you are no longer afraid of hurting others."

She remained mute for a few seconds, listening to the sound the birds made, eyes glued on her hands. Robin grumbled and placed her palm on the cage, feeling the beaks trying to pick on her skin. "How long did it take you, to control your abilities?"

"I'm still working on it but the hard part is over. You'll get through it, too," the girl nodded in silence, one side of her lips tugging into a side-smile. Robin grinned back, caressing Rachel's back with her hand to encourage her.

Their heads snapped to the side when the door to the roof swung open with a loud thud and a man twice Robin's size stormed in with his threatening eyes fixated on Dick and Dawn. "Hey. The hell are you doing here, Dick?"

Dawn stood up from the seat and got between the two men, attempting to unwind the newcomer whose fury was not even tried to hold. "I had a situation," came Dick's voice, defending the woman that confronted the angered man.