It had been far too long since Kori had seen him like this—hunched over his desk, papers scattered atop its surface; the illumination of his laptop drawing attention to the hollows in his cheeks.

She cast her gaze downward to the faint yellow tinge of highlighter fluid encasing various subheadings. He quickly skimmed the passage with his hand, holding the highlighter steady as he scanned the page.

The weight of the world was mentally upon his shoulders, and lately Kori was struggling to help him ease its burden. Seeing him like this was never easy, and she couldn't help the feeling of self-blame that twisted her insides.

Kori's grip on the plateful of pepperoni pizza tightened as she made her way through his doorway. Fear crept up her insides, alongside butterflies as she walked through the invisible barrier separating her from him.

She hadn't seen him eat in days, perhaps a few nibbles here and there, but nothing to fill his appetite. When the boys requested ordering pizza, Kori knew she'd have to fight for her own portion, and extra for Dick.

The soundproof, stainless steel door mechanically slid closed behind her with a click as she steadily approached him.

"I brought you the pizza of pepperoni," she spoke against the wall of silence surrounding them.

His shoulders moved the slightest bit, a physical sign of irritation, one she knew well. Nevertheless, the action merely prompted her forward.

She neared him silently, her boots soundless against the titanium flooring beneath her. She peered over his desk, her chartreuse orbs catching a glimpse of his stone hard features. "Richard..." she pressed, setting the pizza down beside him.

The sound of his true name on her lips stirred up something dangerous within him; primal. He has been trying his best to avoid his best friend, teammate, and lover, though with her standing so close to him, well, it took all of his strength to keep him from reaching out for her. He needed her, he desperately craved her.

He fought off his thoughts; his eyes grazing over the words on the newspaper, yet not really absorbing them. His ran a hand through his hair and balled the ends of his ebony spikes within his fist. He shifted his head towards her, his masked line of sight catching her wide, worried one.

They stayed like that for awhile, simply remaining in each other's presence; acknowledging one another.

Her eyes ran over the the large dark circles beneath his mask, mere proof of his lack of nutrition and sleep. Her insides twisted painfully, and suddenly she felt squeamish beneath his acknowledgment.

"Your pizza is getting cold," she muttered, casting her eyes downward at the plate before setting in down beside him.

"I appreciate the offer, Star, but I have a lot to do. I'll eat later," he dismissed. "Batman has requested my help on an urgent matter.

Her eyes narrowed at his lack of details involving his matters. It seemed every instance where the Dark Knight reached out to Dick, he would bury himself in work and isolate himself. Kori found herself disliking Gotham's hero a lot more as of late.

Since Dick had gone from Robin to Nightwing after his twentieth birthday, Batman had been taking full advantage of the new hero. She understood that with a new outfit came greater responsibilities, but he was still the Titan's leader, and her boyfriend.

"Does the Batman also request you fast from daily meals?" She asked, her eyebrows raising and her tone taking on a sassy edge. She drew her arms across her chest, giving him a stern glare.

Dick's eyes shot from his laptop to her, clearly he was taken aback by her tone. But, to Kori's surprise, his features softened and he shook his head.

"Star, I—"

"I have not seen you intake any food in days; it worries me to see you like this," she confessed, dropping her arms weakly.

Dick regarded her, her usual bright Tamaranian eyes had lost their glow. She even looked a bit thinner to him. Dammit, he had done it again. He'd been a dick, literally, and locked her on the other side of his defensive wall.

He soundlessly pulled the plate of pizza towards him, picking up a slice and taking a bite out of it.

"How did you manage to get Vic and Garfield to share?" He questioned with his mouth full; taking advantage of changing the subject.

She shifted a top her feet, "merely by distraction, I did the sneaking of the pizza after I introduced them to the new Walking of Dead game for the box of X." She explained, slowly trailing the room.

Despite her newly gained attention, her curious gaze sought answers, and usually to get those she could find the right direction on his bulletin board.

Various articles were pinned against the cork, many focusing on Slade Wilson, Red-X and a few criminals she didn't recognize. Gotham's criminals.

An unsettling feeling creeped along her insides as her eyes raked over each one. These criminals held a look to them that was different than their Jump City ones. They all appeared to have a sinister; murderous aura about them. Something their criminals lacked; with the exception of Slade. These were people Dick would soon be facing on a daily basis. Gotham attracted danger, for danger craved Batman, and Batman's danger was Jump City's tenfold.

As of late, Dick had been making a few trips back and forth to Gotham, leaving Victor in charge of the team during his absence. Kori had been trying her hardest to be supportive and frequently told herself it would only be a couple of days before she would see him again. But, looking at the line of madmen in front of her, she feared the couple of days he once spent in Gotham would soon turn into weeks, or worse, months. Starfire drew her arms around herself as a shutter raked her body, the realization not sitting well in her stomach.

"Kori?"

She didn't hear him get up from his desk, and yet there he was behind her. The heat of his breath along her neck summoned goosebumps, and brought to her attention just how close he was. His voice was thick with concern, but Kori was reluctant to speak her thoughts aloud. She worried she would lose him, whether it be to a criminal or to Gotham itself, her fears worsened with each sunrise. Every passing day was a step closer to Nightwing's future.

His hands rested upon her hips gently, prompting her to voice her thoughts. She almost fell prey to temptation, but shook off the tendrils, instead turning to face him head on. She shifted beneath his careful grasp, her palms resting against his chest as her eyes faced his masked ones. She could feel the heat of his gaze against her features. He was attempting to read her like he did with his work; looking for any physical sign to point him in the right direction of her internal thoughts.

"I miss you, Richard."

Her words carried a weight Dick wasn't in the right mind to lift. Batman had asked for a pretty tall order when he contacted Dick requesting records on Slade Wilson and Red-X; the Titan's two main crooks. Batman suspected that when the time came, the two men would search for Robin, one day leading them to Gotham, in search of Batman himself.

As Dick transferred the files over, it became much more apparent to him how deep he was getting into as Nightwing. Richard promised himself he wouldn't be talked back into Batman and Gotham's ways.

Yet here he was.

Beneath the stress of it all, he hoped distancing himself from Koriand'r would ease some of his burden. Of course he had neglected to think about what space between them would look and feel like to her. In doing so he had worried her and had left himself on empty. Distancing himself from her was never as easy as he made it seem. It left a mental weight on him every time. He knew he should have cut off all relation between them as soon as they began expressing feelings for one another. But every time he tried, she pulled him back in with her caring concern and selfless actions. Standing with her near him and mere inches between them, he felt guilty. He could see the hurt encased in her irises, and he knew he contributed to most of it. He usually always did.

Silence surrounded them, and he didn't know how to chase away it's noiseless sound.

"You have been so caught up in Gotham's affairs, I fear you have forgotten about us." She muttered, her index fingers lightly fiddling with the soft, worn fabric of his white tee.

Her stress on the "us," reminded him it is not only herself he had neglected, but all amongst the tower, his team.

Dick shook his head, his fingers skimming the hem of her tank top as he massaged small circles into her exposed flesh there.

"I haven't forgotten you or the team," he reassured her.

Team? How about friends? Was he really so cold? Or maybe he didn't want to admit it to himself aloud that he cared deeply for all of them.

The Titans were more of a family than his own in Gotham. They had taught him much more than Bruce had ever hoped to. With them, he could laugh and smile. He loved them. Although, he felt Starfire deserved the credit, without her, his team would have left his ass a long time ago. The future had shown them that.

The heat of her touch left his chest, instead, her delicate fingers reached for his mask. Revealing his eyes would unmask most of his feelings. Not only that; but she also felt the need to see his bright, sapphire eyes meeting her own. It had been nearly two weeks since she had seen her Richard.

He didn't try to stop her like he did on occasion. She let the mask drop to their side, disregarding it quickly, desperate to get lost in his captivating trance.

A smile pulled against her lips as butterflies pounded against her insides. His gaze was her secret relief. When she looked at him, she felt as though everything and everyone surrounding her had disappeared.

He ran his thumb along her cheek and down to her chin ever so lightly. She reacted to his touch, her eyes closing and her mouth slightly opening. He knew that look, it was the same look she gave him when she wanted him, needed him.

He was enticed by her; that body, her plump lips, those eyes that called out to him when he made love to her. He adored every bit of her. So unique and always interested in the simplistic aspects of life.

He gently pulled her chin down, opening her mouth wider. He let his fingertips graze the flesh of her neck; her breathing hitching in response.

From the very first day he laid eyes on her, rage filled with a snarl stretching against her features, he found her beautiful. With each passing day he found himself gradually falling for her. He was dancing with the devil at that point. For a whole year he played tug of war with his feelings. One evening they would be cuddled up into on another watching late night TV and the next he would be shutting his door on her. He didn't know how she had managed to put up with all that she had.

He kissed her on her open mouth, taking in her lips. There was a tension that had built between them and he loved the effect it put on her. He felt her body melt into his as he drank her in. He let his teeth nibble on her bottom lip before he kissed her hard once more. He had an affect on her and he prided himself on it. He hoped no one would ever have that kind of power over her except him.

Koriand'r pushed her arms up his chest, hanging them around him as she gently grazed the nape of his neck with her nails.

He dipped his head, his kiss becoming more gentle as he let his lips graze hers. The feeling of his bare skin beneath hers triggered a hunger in her that she hadn't realized had grown so famished.

Her grip around his neck tightened as she slammed him back against his wall. Richard was taken by surprise, but the devilish look in her eye only enticed him. Her kiss was greedy now; possessive. It was like her alien instincts were awakening with her arousal. As she took his tongue in her mouth; the two began a battle of possession.

Dick's mind was becoming more and more fogged with lust with each passing second. He was becoming increasingly aware of the short distance of space between them and his bed. He mentally scolded himself at the thought, sex was the last thing he needed to include into their situation.

"You should never allow a woman to get too close to your heart. The heart can persuade the mind to do many irrational things, should you let it. It is the ultimate undoing of a hero."

Bruce's advice flashed against the front of his mind. He knew he had crossed that line long ago; though he didn't regret it as much as he had in the beginning. He had given into his feelings wholeheartedly once he looked at Bruce's life and how it had turned out for him. Bruce had spent years pushing away the one's he loved in fear of harming them with his nightly occupation. It consumed him. Dick didn't want to be that man. He dreamed of a family and normal life to come home to at some point in his life.

Her fingers buried and clung to his hair as she pushed her body against his. He groaned as her pelvis ran over his sensitive, growing erection. A smirk stretched against her lips as she did it again, this time agonizingly slow.

Nightwing's voice of reason was completely slipping beneath her tantalizing teasing. He spun her around; leaving her pinned between the wall and his solid chest. With both hands he grabbed her ass and lifted her against him. Her long legs wrapped around his waist and her grasp around his neck tightened. With her in his arms, he had stolen her dominance.

His teeth caught her lower lip, roughly pulling at it; earning him a moan from Kori.

Within seconds he had her a top his bed, his body hovering over hers. His hands wandered over her body, trailing her skin. While the sensation was pleasing to the fiery young woman, she was growing impatient. She desperately tore at his tee shirt, the fabric audibly shredding as she flipped him to his back, her body now above his.

With her dominance reclaimed, she narrowed her eyes seductively as she starred down at him. There was something satisfying about looking at him beneath her. Perhaps it was a feeling coded into her genetic, warrior background. Or maybe claiming the title of leader from her leader fulfilled some odd fantasy. Whatever the reason, she loved seeing him like this. Not only conquered, but his lips swollen and his eyes brightly glazed with lust. She liked the way his ebony spikes were disheveled; the way his cheeks had taken on a faint blush. She felt her whole body tingle as a fire ignited within her.

Now she just needed him to extinguish her flames.

She crossed her arms over head and tugged at her tank top. She slowly inched it over herself, giving him a sexy tease before tossing it aside. She could feel the heat of his gaze along her tanned flesh as she undressed herself. It rose goosebumps as she anticipated what was about to go on between them.

His hands grabbed on to her exposed waist as he held on to her. He let his eyes travel over the plains of her sunbathed flesh. He let out a groan as he felt his erection begging for release against his now too tight jeans.

Kori could feel his need for her bulging out beneath her. Her chartreuse gaze found his, which was focusing on her still covered breasts. With a giggle, she slinked her arm behind her and tugged at the clasp of her bra apart. Her bright orbs darkened as her bra fell from her, revealing her bare breasts.

Dick was on his edge now. He needed her.

As if she read his mind, she crawled over him, her lips crashing hard against his. She ran her palms over his muscular chest, her fingernails lightly scratching at his flesh. His fingertips trailed up along her bare waist to her ribcage. She shivered as his touch lit her to life, the warmth hotter than the sun's rays.

This time it was his turn to smirk.

In mere seconds he became the dominant, positioning himself above her; which she gladly let him.

His lips tasted her neck and he gradually made his way down to the soft flesh of her breasts. She was a dinner in herself, and he was determined to take his time with the main course.

She let out a breathless moan as he nibbled at her nipples, swirling his tongue over her areola. Kori's teeth pulled at her lower lip and her back arched. Her fingers combed through his hair as she whispered his name like a prayer.

His calloused, rough hands ran along the skin of her stomach and slowly inched down beneath the hem of her Victoria's Secret Pink shorts. As he reached her dripping core, her chants and moans became louder. She ran her fingers through his hair as she rhythmically swayed back and forth to his movements.

His mouth left her breast, instead paying attention to her bare torso. His lips peppered kisses along her soft flesh. He kissed down her body until he was between her legs. He stripped her of her remaining garments and kissed the inside of her thighs. Her moans became hushed until his lips met her forbidden ones.

"Dick," she moaned, her body arching into him.

He loved the taste of her. She was a delicacy in herself. Blossomed and fruity, yet sweet. She was unique in every way.

It wasn't until she whispered "please Richard," that he decided he too, was ready for release.

He crawled up from in between her and held himself up on his knees. Kori's fingers beat him to the clasp on his jeans. He kicked them off, along with his boxers before returning his attention to the beauty beneath him.

This was Dick's favorite part of making love to her. Not claiming her, per se, but the look of love she gave him right before he lowered himself into her. Her whole body took on a subtle glow, and her eyes shone brighter than any starbolt. Within seconds, the two became one. With each thrust, Starfire called out his name, encouraging him to quicken his pace. With rough, desperate kisses that soon became sloppy, Richard's pace slowed just before he met release of his own.

He lowered himself against her bare body, peppering gentle kisses against her slick skin as his strength slowly dissipated.

Starfire hummed as she gently combed her fingers through his damp hair, lulling him into sleep.

Dick's rest didn't last long. A mere two hours later, Kori's head rested against his chest, his arm beneath her and his hand buried within her sunlit locks. Her gentle breathing was soothing, especially with thoughts of work resurfacing against the front of his mind.

His new life as Nightwing was destined to be much more dangerous than his life as a Titan leader. As Nightwing he would be working out of Gotham, a fact Batman had pounded into Dick's head too many times.

Gotham's population was much bigger when compared to Jump City's, not to mention the amount of crime was just as much of a drastic increase. Batman had instructed him he could run the Titan's for the time being, but that he would be working on filling his place with a new Robin in the meantime.

A new Robin.

The though held a bit of sorrow to it. To think that he would no longer live in Titan Tower; that he would be giving up his room, his home, his villains, and most importantly, his friends. It was an idea that didn't sit well with him. He had spent years perfecting his actions as a leader as well as Jump City. Was giving it all up really the right thing to do?

"You're not a teenager anymore, it's time you part from the Teen Titans. It's time you come home. Batman could really use help solving some of the more pressing matters here."

More pressing matters. What about the matters in Jump? While he hasn't seen any activity from Slade as of late, the thought of leaving his team with a foe as twisted as that man was–it wasn't the action of a leader. Robin is Slade's arch-enemy. Would the new Robin be able to man such a threat? And all the while protecting his team in the process?

Dick combed his hand gently through Star's hair as he plummeted further into the endless pit of his mind. Another major dilemma he would have to face soon– telling Kori he would be moving out of Jump.

The thought related back to his whole reasoning behind keeping distance between them. He knew the news of his departure would crush her. Of course he could visit, but what kind of man would he be to do that to her? The image of Roy came to mind. The copperhead with an obvious crush on the love of his life. He wondered what the archer would have to offer Koriand'r.

Nausea bubbled in his stomach at the thought.

He could never leave Star. He wouldn't, no matter what Bruce said. Vulnerability was a topic Dick had spoken of before he and Starfire agreed to date. He had taken her and explained to her the dangers they were about to dive head first into. To his relief, Star told him she didn't care what the cost, her heart belonged to him and it always would.

That same night they consummated their promise, and their relationship.

Starfire stirred against him, a gentle sigh escaping her lips. Tendrils of her soft, strawberry hair clung to his chest. He brushed the strands back, combing them behind her ear as he settled back into the pillow tucked beneath him.

With Kori in the safety of his arms, Richard felt inclined to sleep; for once his eyes actually drifted closed on their own. Her gentle breathing chasing away the remnants of work. And for the first time in a while, the nightmares that usually keep him tossing and turning during night were traded for pleasant dreams of simple things and sunlit strawberries.