So this story is dedicated to my Traught feels! I know you guys are waiting for Birds of the Night update, but I have a case of writers block and now I'm busy with school, so I'm just writing when I can. But I have not abandoned you ^_^ Please let me know what you think!

Artemis finally escaped the group of girls that for some reason found her great company. It baffled her. They thought she was good looking enough to be in their clique, and she'd had to endure hours of gossip and gloating and discussion about, *gag*, shopping.

She ran to the only place she found bearable in the school from hell. It was a small cove-like area under the skylight, and it was peaceful. Quiet.

She sat inside the window frame, and brought her knees up to her chest, disregarding school policies and feminine crap. She took out a bag lunch, unable to consume the fancy school food, and opened a package of Oreos.

"Dessert before your meal?"

Her head popped up to see Dick Grayson standing there, smiling like an idiot.

"I'm a rebel," she shrugged, watching him skeptically. He acted like they were best friends, and they weren't. Sure, he helped her all the time with her homework, and she was grateful. But she really wasn't in the mood.

"Why are you hanging out with them?" he asked suddenly, and she raised her eyebrows.

"I...it's none of your business."

Dick grinned. "Well I think you deserve better."

Like you and Miss Red Head better? She licked off the cream and stuffed the hollow cookie in her mouth. "How would you know what I deserve? You don't even know me!"

He seemed to get a kick out of that, which made her just a little furious. He smiled. "I know you better than you might think."

She rolled her eyes. She couldn't deal with him right now. What did the others call him? Circus Freak? "Why don't you go back to the circus, Grayson."

His eyes widened with shock, and then he looked completely shattered, like she had just drowned his puppy. He stared at her with such a disappointed, hurt expression, that she felt her heart shudder. Then he turned around and walked away.

Crap. She jumped from the sill and grabbed his wrist. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that. I didn't realize..." she trailed off at the moistness in his eyes.

"I thought you were different," he stated bluntly, before shaking off her arm.

Her mouth fell open, and she felt terrible. Why did she repeat something like that? She didn't know it was such an insult, such a potent jab. She ran around him.

"Look, I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm serious," she said as sincerely as she could. For some reason he was the only person whose opinion of her she cared about at this school, and she couldn't stand the idea of making him so sad. He was just being nice.

He seemed to understand that she didn't actually know what her comment implied and sighed. "My parents, my aunt, my uncle, and their son were all murdered when we were performing for the circus. I became an orphan, and Bruce Wayne adopted me."

Artemis was choking on her Oreo.

She didn't know that. God she was such a douche. Dick was suddenly concerned, and started patting her back while she coughed like an idiot.

"It's okay! I forgive you, just don't die."

She swallowed the crumbs and made her way to the water fountain. After gulping down a mouthful, she turned to face him. "Dick, I am so sorry. I had no idea." She really didn't. Her mom could only afford a few television channels, and she wasn't the kind of girl who gawked at the rich and famous, so she knew nothing about his history.

He shrugged, as if forgetting everything. "It's cool. Can I join you?"

She blinked. She had just made a cruel joke about his horrific past, and now he wanted to have lunch with her? If she were him, she'd never speak to her again.

She nodded almost too eagerly, and he laughed.

They sat down across from each other on the sill, watching the cliques in the courtyard below. She cleared her throat. "You know, I didn't have the best childhood either. I mean, it probably doesn't come close to yours, but..." she fell silent, realizing how selfish she probably sounded. While her family was chaotic and ruthless, she couldn't imagine Jade or her father dying. It would still hurt. Bad.

But Dick's eyes told her to go on, so she continued. "My mom, she...was gone for a really long time, and my sister left me alone with my dad. He wasn't...well, he never earned a Father of the Year Award. Then when my mom came back, he left too." She didn't know why she was telling him this. Perhaps because he listened, better than anyone she knew, maybe even Robin. "I feel like if I get close to anyone, they'll just leave me, like everyone else."

Dick was silent for a long time. "I know how you feel. Sometimes it's like there's no one who really gets it, even Bruce. I've lost so many people, I don't know if I can let anyone in the same way. Sometimes I just feel completely—"

"Alone."

They stared at each other quietly, smiling.

Maybe not so lonely anymore.

Woohoo! First chapter done. This isn't going to be a real linear story arc, (Lots of oneshots) but I'll try my best to go chronologically. I love Spitfire, don't get me wrong, but Dick and Artemis have this...quality. This special relationship between non-metas that I LOVE! P.S. the chapter names are based off of song titles. Please Review!