-Just a little Kaldur-centric fic with elements of the Boy Wonder's mischief-

"Horses are nothing like skateboards." Artemis scoffed. "Are you going to play skate polo? Do an equestrian halfpipe?"

"Horses are exactly like skateboards," Wally argued. "You stand on them!"

At that point, Kaldur decided he'd had enough of the conversation, excusing himself. The humans were always saying things he didn't understand,  it was exhausting.

and Kaldur could pretend he wasn't jealous that M'gann meshed better socially than he did, when he'd ben on land two years and she'd been there mere months... At least he still integrated better than Conner, who struggled to decern sarcasm on his best days.

Kaldur retreated to his room, he felt ashamed for being jealous of his teammates, but at least he had one thing he could control. One thing that was just for him.

The boy sat on the bed, retrieving a pad of graph paper and a mechanical pencil he stolen from the supplies room, and settled down to draw.

Kaldur had been drawing all his life, when he wasn't working, at least. Ever since he was a small child he'd seek out the flattest slate, a sharp metal stylus, and then spend hours scratching intricate designs into the stone. 

Drawing on the surface--on paper-- was a learning curve,  but once he got it, he was in love. So much so that when he was fourteen Wonder woman had caught him searching through the recycling just to find something else to draw on.

Nowadays his drawing was a habit to while away the long days when his friends were in school. He wasn't very good, honestly, but he enjoyed it.

He rifled through the loose pages, searching for an empty one.  Finding what he sought, he got to work, graphite running along the page in winding lines and angles, his fingers mindlessly smudged and shaded the face as it took shape. It was Canary, her nose straight and cheeks thin, platinum waves spilling over her shoulders.

"What'cha doing?"

Kaldur started, dropping his pencil. "Robin." He stood.

"Up to something elicit?"

Flustered, Kaldur fumbled with the papers, stuttering quietly. "Just-- just work."

"Whoa! Did you do that?" Dick gaped, glancing over his shoulder.

"I-- yes." He admitted, grateful that his skin pigment concealed the violent blush taking over his face.

"That's so good!" Robin tugged out a drawing of M'gann from the pile. "Hey, that looks just like her!"

Kaldur lowered his eyes bashfully, scratching his gills. "...Thank you."

"You're pretty good. How long have you been drawing?"

He fiddled with the papers. "A long time ago...I've been improving my hand drawing for about a decade... not that anyone's ever noticed...."

"Can you do me?"

"I have." Kaldur admitted, shuffling through the pages, extracting one of the boy wonder.

"Whoa! That's so cool! Thanks man!" Robin shuffled closer on the bed. "What else can you draw?"

"People mostly, though I draw landscapes sometimes." He admitted. "I can draw some animals... mostly ones I grew up around." He showed Dick a few Copepod sketches and a rather lopsided angler fish. 

"That's awesome!" Dick encouraged. "How did I never know you drew?"

"I don't share it..." Kaldur admitted. "...I'm not very good yet..."

"Not very good? You're great!"

Kaldur was equal parts shy and flattered. "Thank you for saying so."

"It's true." Dick stood, stretching. "Well I better get back. Have fun!"

A few days passed and Kaldur assumed their little chat had been forgotten. He sat one afternoon writing incident reports when the zeta opened up and his smallest teammate wandered in.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Canceled thanks to the penguin's antics." Dick replied. "So I imagine Arty will be here shortly too."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Kaldur said, and he was, he was almost envious of his friends for getting to attend human school and learn important things.

"Ah, it's fine. I had a test today anyways, so at least I have time to study now!" He laughed, kicking back on the sofa beside his friend.  "Hey man, I got you something."

Kaldur was surprised. No one ever got him anything. "For me?"

"Yeah." Dick held something out. "I noticed you were drawing on some ratty old graph paper... I figured I'd get you something a little nicer."

Kaldur stared in awe at the beautiful faux-leather bound book. He opened it, flipping through the thick,  slightly textured eggshell-white pages. He shook his head. "I can't accept this..."

"You have to! I already threw out the receipt." Robin smiled. "Besides, your art deserves to be somewhere other than a bunch of loose papers."

Kaldur didn't think he's ever been endowed with such a meaningful gift since before his military service, when his mother had gifted him a doll to remember her by while he was away. "I don't know what to say." He admitted.

"Then don't say anything."

"I--" Kaldur turned the book over in his hands, admiring it. "Thank you."

"No sweat."

So later that day Kaldur hid his new precious treasure in his room. He was almost too scared to draw in it-- it was too nice.

He decided the first drawing in the book should be of Robin-- to honor the person who's gifted it.

A few more nights passed, Kaldur made progress into his new art book, and on wednesday they were asked to join the league in discussion over something or other (it was something the team didn't really care about that didn't really effect them in the long run, but the league wanted to give them some experience sitting in on meetings).

The team-- and most o the league-- were bored by the time a recess came in the discussion. A few present got up to stretch their legs, or fell into casual conversation.

Not Robin.

"Hey everyone," The boy wonder held a  mischievous grin. "Did you know Kaldur is an artist? We should all compliment him on his drawings."

Kaldur was mortified, glaring at his friend across the table. He was never coming back to the tower-- hell, he was never coming back on land at this rate! 

"You draw?" Artemis asked, tightening her ponytail. "I never knew that!"

Kaldur grit his teeth a little, lowering his eyes. "I was speaking to Robin a few days ago-- in confidence--" He shot another glare at the self-contented boy wonder, who just smiled back. "About how I've been drawing for ten years and nobody's ever noticed how much I've improved..."

"Aw!" M'gann said sympathetically. "Can I see some?"

"No," Kaldur said quickly, blood rushing to his face. "No, I don't think so."

"Kaldur's drawn all of us, they look really good." Robin continued.

"Robin, don't undermine your leader." Batman told him, but it was too late. 

Kaldur was so embarrassed. He could feel his king watching him. "I'm surprised you've never mentioned in."

"It was never relevent to our work, sir." He said, eyes on the table.

"Not everything has to revolve around Work, Kaldur."

"Yes sir." He said.

"Well I for one would like to see, if you're comfortable." Canary encouraged. "I'm sure they're very good."

"Would you mind changing the topic." Kaldur nearly begged.

"Sure," Wally said. "Wanna hear the mashup I made last night?"