--Homecoming--
The city was bustling with activity already that morning, passersby hurrying their way through the floods of bodies crowding the streets, intent on destinations only they knew. The amber glow of sunlight, its source hanging low on the horizon, glinted in brief flashes of blinding illumination off the glass of buildings and metallic signs, flirting lazily with the cobalt shadows cast by looming skyscrapers.
It was springtime, bordering on the onslaught of the summer season, the mild softness of the spring mixing with the spicy heat of summertime. A gentle breeze blew, warm and balmy with the first hints of the approaching summer, the rich scents of the season with the sweet aroma of the blossoming foliage. He inhaled deeply from the rush of tepid air, the swiftly moving current cooling his body. The wind brushed back the hair falling in his eyes, causing his loose-fitting shirt to billow in the wind.
A-buzz with life around him, the sounds of the city like a sweet melody to his ears, comforting in its familiarity to his auditory memory, Robin closed his eyes as he knelt down and stretched out on the ground, releasing a soft sigh of content.
It really was good to be home.
He was not sure how much time he spent alone in the rooftop, his eyes closed, his face slack and body limp in a relaxed posture, lost in quiet solace. He could understand now what Raven found so appealing about this place, for the serene atmosphere was a soft, palpable thing. It was a kind of peace that could seep into a person's very body and reside there, breaching the heart to soothe away the aches and pains of everyday stressful living. It was a good sensation, and he welcomed it as he drifted through the early hour, alternating between rambling thoughts and light dozing.
As he finally opened his eyes once more, blinking away the fog of sleep, he found himself awash in the warm, vermillion glow radiating from the ascending sun. He suddenly grinned to himself, effortlessly leaping to his feet as he reached into the belt around his waist, released the grappling hook and expertly slid down the wall. He made his way through the nearest window, creeping with soundless footsteps into the bedroom. The early dawn's light was just starting to spill in through the window, shrouding the woman lying in the bed in molten gold; she slept peacefully, serene and lovely in her slumber. He was nearly reluctant to wake her but for the way he craved her company.
He sat down upon the bed, sinking slightly with the addition of his weight, and the shift awoke Raven. She released a soft sigh, thick lashes feathered over amethyst eyes opening to regard his appearance. Recognizing the presence of her lover, she smiled warmly, accepting the soft kiss he offered as he bent down to her.
Welcoming him into her embrace, she twisted her fingers through the ponytail resting between his shoulder blades. Over the years, Robin had grown out his hair in accordance with Starfire's descriptions of the future Nightwing; he regularly pulled it back, now long enough to just pass the breadth of his shoulders.
She had to admit, she enjoyed the new length. Soft black hair to tangle her fingers through as he kissed her, brushing teasingly against her skin whenever she released his ties. Taking advantage of her hold on his hair, she urged him closer, tilting his head down to deepen the kiss. Robin made a soft sound of approval, only drawing away when the need for air became necessary.
"Good morning," she whispered to him, pressing a peck to his cheek as she stroked her fingers along his jaw-line, noting the fine layer of stubble still there. She supposed he hadn't had a chance to shave yet, considering he'd only arrived home the night before; only taking the time to write down his reports and tuck into supper before he crashed into bed, exhausted.
Robin was as much a warrior and wanderer as he was a leader, and often grew restless. Restlessness only let to more obsession, more self-discipline, more stoicism so ingrained into him since his childhood with Batman. The training mission he'd taken was a welcome relief to the free spirit that so made up the man she loved
The only problem was the near month he had been gone. She'd missed her lover terribly, but understood his need to satisfy the maverick inside- she was just glad to have him home and safe.
He slipped his arms around her, lying down beside her and drew her against him, Raven's form curving so perfectly into his like they always had; two pieces of the same puzzle. She nestled against him, inhaling as she rested her head against his chest, drawing up slightly with surprise when she caught the scent of him.
He smelled of earth and wind, with hints of the previous night's spring rain. She finally took in the full sight of him, not his nightclothes nor his uniform- rather a pair of jeans and a loose wife-beater. "You've been out already?"
"Yes. I wanted to see everything again, reacquaint myself with home."
She laid a hand against his chest, "Are you reacquainted?"
His eyes heated, his mouth stretching into a slow, lazy grin, "Not with everything just yet."
He gently rolled her onto her back, levering himself over her. She braced her hands against his back, pulling him closer to settle his weight against her as Robin trailed kisses down her neck, drawing a soft moan from her.
His hands slid toward the hem of her tank-top, and Raven caught them before he went too far, regretfully putting a stop to their activities. "Richard…"
"What's wrong?"
"The others are sleeping down the hall."
He nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his thumb against her palm, "Come for a swim with me, then. I've been gone long enough that the water should be warming up."
As appealing as the prospect was, Raven hesitated still, "The others, Rich."
"They won't be up for hours. Besides, we'll just be on the roof. "
He leaned closer, his nose rubbing against hers, his eyes soft, "Please?"
"I don't know…"
There was no way she could resist that look.
"Fine. But we need time for a shower afterward. I won't spend the day smelling like chlorine."
"Alright. Just as long as you don't having me smelling like roses again from that soap of yours."
"It was one time, Starfire forced it on me. However, I make no promises."
Robin sighed, rolling his eyes heavenward as she went to change.
She came back out to meet him a few minutes later, and she was gorgeous as ever. Nothing different about her everyday wear, but still, every time he saw her, she managed to take his breath away.
She looped her arm through his, smiling at him and Robin's mind came to the inevitable conclusion. Some things were worth giving everything for, and Raven was definitely one of them.
--
The water was warmer like he had promised; just cool enough to relax the heat of sunlight against her naked skin. She wondered vaguely how long it had been since she set sight on a bathing suit and she could not recall, pushing the thought away with a mental shrug. Swimming bare-skinned gave her more of an opportunity to look upon her lover's form anyway.
As if summoned by thought, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against a muscled chest and when warm lips touched her shoulder, she could not help a shiver of sensual sensation. A handsome man aside, at twenty-two, Richard was at the height of his prime, so blatantly male a woman would have to be blind not to appreciate the air of sexuality surrounding him. Raven was certainly no exception. And the knowledge that he was hers, all hers in heart and soul, never failed to please her.
She turned around to face him, kissing him deeply only to have him lean back teasingly, eyebrows rising in question with a silent challenge. In quiet agreement, they began their race. She took her time, watching him glide languidly through the water. She lay on her back after arriving just before him, still the better swimmer. Not showing any sign of bruises to the male ego, he smiled at her, diving beneath to savor the cool water. He closed the distance between them, resting one hand against the wall, shoulders hunching slightly as he leaned, letting out a content sigh.
She watched him, watched his hair darkened to a dusky black, plastering to his head, watched the water glisten against his skin, watched the graceful stretch of sun-kissed skin and lean muscle, saw him smile and approach her…slowly bringing his hands up to frame her face.
The resulting kiss was soft and questioning, her eyes fluttering closed as his lips grazed over hers, applying the lightest bit of pressure as she responded, twining her arms around his neck in a way that consequently brought her closer to him. He pulled back slightly, his nose brushing against hers as he smiled. Watching her eyes, he brought a hand from her face and placed it carefully on the small of her back, gliding his fingers up her spine to rest at her neck, sending sensual shivers in his wake as he cupped the back of her head, tangling his fingers through her hair.
She brought her own hands up to touch him, tracing the musculature of his arms and the blades of his shoulders, palms lying flat against his back to feel slick skin warm and wet from the water.
He kissed her- or she kissed him, she wasn't certain who started it- but suddenly there was nothing but mouth and cheek and skin and hands…gentle and warm and ardent…and Richard, nothing else in the world beyond Richard.
They broke apart only as the need for air became an issue, and Raven watched him withdraw through hooded eyes, her vision full of nothing but the hazy blue of his eyes, deep and penetrating as the dark oceans their color represented. She shuddered for breath, trembled against him and he turned her in the circle of his arms. Her chest to his back, her body molded to his and her eyes went wide at the sudden proximity, soothed somehow as a soft whisper of "My love," came in her ear, accompanied by calloused hands brushing against her skin, warm as they rested against her shoulders and began slowly kneading tension from the muscles.
His lips whispered a kiss against the nape of her neck, and his hands were incredibly gentle as he slowly mapped her body. Richard thrilled in touching her, all silken skin and soft curves. Her body had reshaped since the first time he had seen her nude, the first night they made love all those years ago. Three years later, her figure was fuller, her hips wider and the swell of her breasts more prominent. No longer lean, but slender and lithe as ever, graceful and proud as the bird she was named for. Nineteen now, and certainly no girl- no, the vision in his arms was most definitely a woman. And a breathtaking one at that.
She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
He hummed with contentment, moving to move the wet hair away from his eyes. With a warm smile, Raven accomplished the task for him, drawing his head down for a kiss as he wrapped his hands around her hips, lifting her up toward him. Her legs slung around his hips, and he carried her toward shore, rather proud of his double-tasking as he found himself shocked they even made it out of the pool after stumbling a few times.
He peppered kisses down her neck and shoulder, running his hands down her sides, "You are so beautiful."
She smiled, tilting back her head to grant him better access, "I hope you realize this was how we'll end up getting caught."
She felt his lips lift into a smile against her skin, "Maybe our luck will win out this time. Maybe we'll be left alone."
"I doubt it," she replied wryly, "Knowing us, we wouldn't notice if the world ended around us."
"Would that be so bad?" he kissed her, "As long as we're together?"
"Mmm," her gaze was mischievous as they stared into his, "We've made it through one apocalypse. I suppose we could make it through another."
"True enough."
His eyes closed briefly, as he rested his head against the side of hers, sighing softly. There had never been much discretion between the two of them when it came to their lovemaking; evident in the multiple times they'd almost been caught by their friends and roommates. As private as people they were, there was something about their physical craving for each other that sometimes outweighed their rationale. It was shocking they hadn't been found out yet- that morning, anyway.
"Where ever you are, love, come back to me."
He opened his eyes and turned toward her, reveling in the feel of her lips pressing to the back of his shoulder. "I want you, Richard. What will you do about it?"
Drawing her close to him, she became his entire world.
His kiss was anything but mild or chaste. She opened to the insistent press of his tongue, succumbed to him as he pulled her close and lowered them both to the ground. The tile surrounding the pool was slick, wet and cold against her back, and then she no longer noticed as he swept over her, his mouth at her throat hot as a brand, his hands lost between them.
A wild, strange heat coiled in her belly, stoked by his touch and fueled by the desire smoldering in his eyes. She had known those eyes forever, seen every look, every emotion they had to reveal, and every pain. She knew their fire, their determination, their sorrow, their pride, and their strength.
But on this morning, they burned with a different fire, a familiar, lustful heat that never failed to thrill her. It was a gaze full of love and desire dominating over everything else; all for her, only for her. As his mouth descended onto hers once again, all coherent thought flew out the proverbial window. Emotion and sensation met and clashed; collided to join together in a fire that threatened to overwhelm her. His heat enveloped her, embraced her just as he did. Clothing were peeled away and discarded, thrown away with no second thought given to their destination.
He touched her in ways only he could, in places no other man ever had. His touch was simultaneously demanding and gentle; tender in a way she had always imagined he would be. She had been an untouched sixteen the first time she let him into her bed, and she had known even then she wouldn't take any other lover after him. By the end of the morning, he would be less the lover and more the leader, and yet everywhere he touched, burning her, thrilling her, would mark her as his.
Strong and tender, passionate and gentle, he was all the things she had ever known him to be. The familiarity of him was soothing, knowing his body as well as she did; all the times they had been separated still left old scars…
Two bodies became one, their hearts pounded with united rhythm. She had been a full month without him, and in their urgency there was momentary discomfort as he filled her. Their bodies went still, and there he was to kiss away her pained expression, stroking her hair, murmuring broken words she couldn't understand, but accepted the comfort they offered none the less.
A perfect reflection of the tenderness that made up who he was, and every way she loved about him. Slender arms twined around his neck, legs around his hips, and she welcomed him into her body.
And then, the pain was gone, disappearing as a distant memory as the sensation of him inside of her besieged her heart, her thoughts, her body, as they began to move again. In this moment, as bodies became one, two hearts, two souls, submerged together as well.
Something archaic, something primal, in an ancient dance existing since the dawn of time, a rhythm guided by instinct, a mating driven by things they could never say.
Passion, desire, lust, he was all those personified. Erasing any trace of doubt, insecurity, and questions from her head, thrown aside, tossed aside until there was nothing left but him, every sense overwhelmed and filled with him.
Once upon a time, he had been untouchable, unreachable, all out of fear for what they felt for each other and now here he was as his hands curled around hers, as he moved inside her. The faraway look his eyes held since he'd returned disappeared and he was there with her, all of him. As she writhed beneath him, cried his name again and again, as their world collapsed out from under them, sending them flying.
Soul-shaking ecstasy, gravity defying as they crossed the line between fall and flight, came without warning, poignant and overwhelming. His body shuddered and her name spilled from his lips raw and broken, utter oblivion there to meet them as they collapsed together in an entanglement of intertwined limbs and spent passions.
Raven lay her head upon his shoulder, smiling softly as she pressed her ear against his chest to listen to the thundering of his heart, "I can hear your heartbeat."
"It's just slowing down," he dropped a kiss to the top of her head, wrapping her into his embrace.
She nestled closer to him, kissing his chest, "Now," she said wryly. "What is better than that?"
Richard chuckled, "I can't think of anything."
"Honestly, I can't think at all."
He smiled, nuzzling against her neck, "That's usually a good sign."
"Mmm, always," she kissed him softly, stroking his cheek, feeling him respond as his mouth was a warm, gentle press against hers. When he moved to deepen the kiss, she reluctantly rolled away from him, meeting his protesting frown with a regretful sigh, "The others will wake up soon. And you know someone will come looking for us."
Robin groaned, rubbing a hand over his face, "Are you sure I can't just resign from this leader business?"
She stroked his shoulders, sighing at the sudden tension in the muscles beneath her fingertips. She pressed a kiss to his nape, "What would you do with yourself otherwise? You know as well as I do that you were born for this."
"Not just I," there was an undercurrent of pride evident in his tone, the respect he held for her that never failed to have Raven shy and embarrassed in the light of his adoration, "Rae…"
"Hmm?"
He cupped her cheek, drawing her mouth to his in a soft kiss, "I love you."
"And I you. But we really need to be going. Don't think I'd fall for that distraction tactic."
"It was worth a shot."