v e n t (+16)

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- Hey, I understand that you're angry- Okay, CALM DOWN - the leader raised his voice while walking around the living room nervously.

He was pressing the communicator against his ear, trying to say anything in the conversation that he was currently having. There was no one beside him in the room, so his voice freely echoed in the distance. The air inside the Tower smelled of warm metal from the heating. It was pretty late that he received a call from Chris - Myth's would-be boyfriend if she hadn't rejected him, who was her team's leader for until she returns. The guy was visibly frustrated and sad and powerless about the whole situation going on with his close friend. He could not see her, call her, talk to her for a moment ever since Robin took her under his roof. Blonde-haired man didn't expect it to prelong as much as it already did. But it would actually be fairly easy to stand if only Teen Titans allowed him to have a meeting or two with her.

They stood strong with not letting him come since they respected Myth's request. It drove him crazy. Normally he would not yell at Myth's father because he was in no position to ever try to put himself above such an honorable man but this time, he couldn't hold it in. Robin tried to calm him down, he made sure to stay quiet as he explained the reason why he can't come and kept making unspecified promises that really held no value such as "She might change her mind soon", "I promise to send her back to you guys as soon as it is possible", "We are working on it, be patient" just to put the boy's mind at ease and it usually seemed to work. In reality, Chris was just getting fed up with hearing the same things being said to him and ended the call. Just not this time...

- Man, I can't help you! Do you understand what I am saying to you? I can't make ANY decisions regarding you guys without Myth's approval! - Robin told him as strictly as he could and heard another answer filled with aggression.

...

- No, she literally barely speaks to me about anything. I can't get a lot of things out of her and forcing it on her isn't right either - he explained as if the same thing was being asked of him many times.

...

- Did you really just doubt that I was ever in love to prove your point? Weak - masked man muttered, starting to feel annoyed with the way he was speaking to him.

...

- Look, I think you definitely need a breather... Call me back once you feel like not yelling out inaccurate accusations at me. Talk to you later - he finished with a lot less power in his voice, pulled the communicator away from his ear and ended the call in the middle of Chris saying something that had no meaning to Robin anymore, as it was said in emotions.

He let out a tired exhalation as his whole body shrinked limply. The leader hid his yellow device in his belt and walked out the room to take a shower. He felt pressured. It was something that bothered him since he took his daughter home to heal her unspecified mental condition. With natural responsibilities of a father came problems that he didn't expect to occur. Of course he suspected a lot of hard work with her to come, but he hoped that they could work together, like a team, like it used to be. But Michelle... she changed a lot. She didn't feel like the same sweet, loving and empathetic child he knew before the accident. He almost struggled to recognize her at times with how cold she was. It was one of the things that hurt his soul the most, but he couldn't just stop loving her - not an option to him.

"Is taking care of kids harder as they grow up or am I just getting old?" - Robin asked himself powerlessly while letting warm water run down his bruised and cut in several places body.

The answer to that wasn't easy as he couldn't exclude neither of those options. To add to that, he had to deal with her friends who missed her and... they also had a right to do so. He couldn't really explain why exactly Myth doesn't wish to see them around because she hadn't expanded her statement in that topic. No matter what - he never really blamed Myth for anything he was feeling. It was unfortunate, but she didn't ask to feel this awful herself, he was certain. Hands brushed through his shiny, wet, black hair, massaging in the shampoo. He got used to soap and water irritating wounds everytime he took a shower so he wouldn't let a hiss out his mouth. Instead, he sometimes tightened his eyelids and if he really hurt - he would groan to himself silently. That day's evening was pretty cold and rainy, but he felt like he can shower peacefully since he had closed all of the windows in his room so Michelle doesn't get ill. He allowed her to take showers sooner so she can fall asleep faster and get more rest. He finished after cleaning all of the soap off his body and then got out the shower to dry himself.