Dick Grayson Trash

Beach Day

-I can't wait until we're safe to go to the beach again-

There was a trail down the mountain to the hidden (Practically privet) beach, and today, Dick and Wally were running ahead, leading the precession. It was a boiling 30° in Happy Harbour, and they'd already tried ice cream and lemonade, and the beach was their last resort.

"This is gonna be AWESOME!" Wally tore off his baseball shirt as they reached the scorching sand, leaving behind the shade of the trees. He threw down his towel and shirt in a clump, and ran into the waves. "OH! It's so freaking cold! Get in here!"

Kaldur had gone straight to the water, having missed it significantly. M'gann cracked open a Coke, settling next to Conner, since he wasn't ready to get into the Water yet. She just Buried her toes in the sand and sipped her cola.

Dick laid out his things in the closest thing to shade that he could find. He adjusted his glasses the best he could. 

"Come on!" Artemis called, tying her hair in a bun so it wouldn't get too wet. "Let's go drown Wally!" She squirmed out of her shirt and jean shorts, revealing her one piece swimsuit. 

"Uh, sure." Dick got up and kicked off his shoes. "I better not lose my glasses..."

She looked at him curiously. "Are you forgetting something?" 

"Hmm?"

"Your shirt, genius!" She grabbed the corner of his t-shirt and tried to pull it off, jestingly. 

"NO!-" Dick shouted, pulling it back down. That got their attention, Robin was usually pretty good at keeping his cool.

"Robin?" M'gann voiced everyone's worries. "Are you okay?"

Robin safely patted the shirt down. "I'm fine, thanks Ms. M."

"What was that?" Artemis exclaimed. 

Dick cleared his throat, obsessively straightening his shirt. "I'm... uh... I'm gonna wear this, in the water."

"Why?" She sneered.

Dick tried to explain, but felt the words died on his tongue.

"Artemis, let him be." Kaldur emerged from the tide, briefly. "Robin, come in."

Robin faked an awkward smile, and dodged past her. "Come on!" 

The next twenty minutes were consumed with the youngest three playfighting. Artemis nearly drowned both of them when her hair got wet, shouting about how it takes at least seven hours for it to dry.

It was mostly just fun and games, with Kaldur stepping in occasionally to ensure no one was drowned, or dying of sunstroke.

"Everyone, step out and hydrate." He ordered.

"But-" Wally started.

"Please, come out and drink some water." The team leader requested. 

"Fine." Dick dragged himself out of the ocean. He realized his shirt had gone transparent, clinging to his torso. he hurried across the sand to his towel and grabbed his water bottle. He started chugging it, sitting on his towel. He just watched to get back in the water quickly so he could get back in the water.

Artemis had been wondering what was up with Robin since he first freaked out about keeping his shirt on. Maybe he was insecure, but she felt there was something more.

She stare at his chest, through his soaking, clinging, t-shirt. His (rather undeveloped) torso was laced in scratches and scars. It was laced in 

"Hey, Rob. You have... uh..." she reached out touch one of the more obvious scars on his torso.

"Stop! Artemis! STOP!" He screamed, swatting her away.This got the attention of the others. He felt them staring at his scars through his shirt.

Taken aback, Artemis moved back. "Sorry, I just asked..."

"Well don't ask!" He grit his teeth, crossing his arms across his body.

"Dude, what's up?" Wally asked. 

Dick lip quivered, sending the others into immediate worry. They never saw Robin like this, he was biting his lip, and was trying to cover as much of his body as possible. 

"Robin, are you..."

"Let's go back in the water!" Dick cut Kaldur off. He didn't even close his water bottle, taking off. Wally was on his heels.

"Dude, what was that?"

Dick waded chest deep, before turning to face him. "Wally," he whispered. "My shirt went see-through!"

"...So?" Wally asked, he was desensitized to seeing Dicks's scars, they seemed normal.

Dick's face tensed, he was trying not to show anything. "They didn't know about it!"

"...oh." Wally said. "So they're freaking out over your-"

"Stop!"

"Okay, okay..." He put his hands up. "Sorry, uh... do you want me to get you my shirt, Or the towel or something?"

Dick nodded a little. Wally took off, slipping in the sand, and returned with his own towel. He pulled Dick out of the water, and wrapped it around his shoulders, guiding the boy back up the beach, and setting him down on his own towel. Dick was trembling a little, from the chill of leaving the water.

"Robin, what's wrong?" M'gann asked, carefully.

"What was all... that..." Artemis gestured around her torso. "The scars or scrapes or whatever...?"

"We just wish to know that you're alright." Kaldur tried to reassure him.

Dick leaned against Wally, pulling the towel closer around him. The red head put his arm on Dick's shoulder. "It's uh... privet."

"Privet?" Artemis asked. "Dude, he has..."

The team leader put a hand on her back, peacefully signalling for her to stop. "Robin doesn't need to tell us."

She huffed, resigning herself. "Fine." 

Dick stared at his sandy feet in silence. He wished he'd stayed in the mountain.

"Robin, would you like a soda?" M'gann offered him a can, worried about the boy she considered a little brother. 

"Okay." He took it.

"Hey, dude," Wally tried to cheer him up. " how about you teach me that choreo you learnt? The beach one."

Dick sniffled and looked up. "All For One, or Surf Surf Crazy?"

"Whichever one you want."