Category: Teen Titans
Warnings: Language, slash content
Genre: Drama
Summary: Speedy's sense of devotion to a former lover led him to make a mistake that may put the Teen Titans, along with his relationship with Aqualad, in imminent danger.

What is Owed

"Finally," Bumblebee said to herself, the Tower looming into view. While the dark blue Titans East tower was typically an less impressive sight than the freestanding white sister tower in the sunny West, after a morning of scrambling to get everyone out of bed and the subsequent four hour flight in the cramped T.E. Ship the young woman was pretty damn happy to see her home base again.

Three days of bliss they had been granted. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – weekdays on which crime was a minimum - to leave Steele's clammy climate and go south to hang out on the beaches, visit night clubs, meet people, and pretend that they were actually normal people for once, if only briefly.

Unfortunately, when one is a teenage prodigy it's hard to escape the life of super heroism. As it would turn out the reputation of Bumblebee's team had, in fact, drifted down to the warmer portions of the coast. Bumblebee had no doubt that while her hand still ached it must have been nothing in comparison to how bad Speedy's and Aqualad's must have been feeling after all those autographs.

Some vacation it had turned out to be. Tuesday it had rained all day, keeping most of the team penned inside the hotel. And boy, did a stir crazy set of twins manage to cause all hell: Bumblebee and Aqualad had to try their damnedest to keep the team from getting booted out of their rooms, and Speedy was no help. He had taken to the lobby, charming girls with his (admittedly catchy) pickup lines and good looks. The next two days had been very similar to that with the exception that they'd been on the beach mostly, making their trip an uncontrolled chaos.

Bumblebee couldn't help but feel at least a bit envious of Speedy. He was lucky. He was normal. He could turn off his superhero life with the mere removal of a mask (though he practically never did) and return to the public. Not so much with the rest of them. Having insect wings tends to draw stares, and Mas and Menos were a pretty distinctive pair even if only in swim trunks. Aqualad – now, Bumblebee felt bad for the poor Atlantean. As if adapting to life on the surface wasn't hard enough on the guy, he had those eyes. Uniformly black. Definitely an attention getting trait on a soul who definitely did not want attention. His looks and physique didn't help, ushering in bikini clad fan girls in flocks. The trip had probably been more stressful on Aqualad than relieving but he never once complained.

And now it was over. Speedy was sporting a nice tan for such a fair skinned redhead, the twins had burned off a lot of energy, Bumblebee had gotten the phone numbers of a couple cuties from that club and Aqualad could breathe again. They were home. Back to work, boys.

They were actually pretty close when Aqualad said into his microphone, "Shouldn't the landing garage be opening?" Bumblebee looked to the top of the tower and saw the doors were actually still closed. They were supposed to be automatic.

"Crap. One of these days I am going to get Cyborg back here and have him make what equipment we do have operational."

Speedy snorted. "You always say that, but you never call because you're too in love with him to face the guy."

"Speedy-!" she started to shout, but the audio feedback echoed in the team's headsets. In the cockpit across from Bumblebee Aqualad visibly shirked in recoil. Menos took his off and tossed it on the console. The young woman had to force down her frustration. "Just… put us down on the roof. We'll open the doors from the inside."

The archer shrugged and reached for the controls in front of him, taking lead of the Ship. The forfeiture of her responsibilities as pilot allowed Bumblebee to lean over and get a better look at the tower. It was completely dark.

"Looks like the generators failed again."

"Meaning all the systems will have to be reset and reactivated," sighed the Atlantean. The thought of entering all those codes and numerical sequences into the primary computer again was mind numbing. Maybe if he could put off doing it until tomorrow he could get Mas and Menos to help. They could type way faster than he ever could, and the numbers should be no problem to copy.

Speedy orchestrated a flawless landing of the T.E. Ship on his own. As they touched down gently (Aqualad had been incredulous that local law enforcement was so desperate for help that they'd give a multi-million dollar transport unit to three teenagers and a couple 12-year-olds) Bumblebee unlatched the seatbelt and began weaving herself out. Home sweet home.

"It's already eleven thirty. Mas, Menos? You two can go on to bed. Speedy and Al, let's just get the primary systems running. We'll save the big stuff for tomorrow."

"Thank God," Speedy's cockpit opened, giving him space to stretch out. Aqualad wasted no time in jumping from his own travel space, unsteady legs carrying him to help Menos out of his seat. After releasing an impressive yawn the archer continued, "Let's get this over with. I'm beat."

The five Titans gathered their luggage and got in through the rooftop access. They had to virtually drag each other through the dark building. In the moments it had taken Aqualad to pick him up out of his cockpit and help him to the ground Menos had fallen asleep in the ocean dweller's arms, snoozing contently. He just carried the Spanish-speaker rather than wake him, and Mas walked alongside the Atlantean. Every so often he bumped into Aqualad's leg, strafing because he was so tired. Feeling sympathetic and appreciative, the team's leader took it upon herself to bring in Aqualad's bag.

Upon seeing some flickering of illumination within Bumblebee whispered, "At least the backup power kicked in this time. Probably lost the security system's function, but at least we won't have to encode everything again."

"Right now let's focus on not breaking our necks on the stairs. Most of the lights are out," remarked Speedy, walking in front of Aqualad. Hey, if he was going to fall carrying Menos, the lease he could do would be try to catch them.

From the back of the line Bumblebee began delegating duties. "I'll see if I can get us back to full power. Speedy, put the energy that we do have into doing a thermal scan of the tower, just in case."

"Got it."

"Al, after you put them down," she, of course, was referring to the twins, "would you mind sending off a message to the Chief of Police informing them that we're home, then get the city alarm back online?"

"Not at all," he said.

They finally got to the main hub and it fell to Speedy to pry the door open. The noise that resulted could have woken the dead but Menos seemed impervious. Aqualad began walking towards the balcony stairs to take the super speed twins to bed.

"You want me to put your stuff in your room or leave it here?" Bumblebee asked him.

"Here's fine, thank you," the prince smiled appreciatively. Given that Aqualad's room was on the ground level very near the generators it would have been simple for her to drop it off, but naturally he didn't want to cause even a slight inconvenience. Bumblebee was dwelling on how he always bent over backwards to be helpful, even when they were practical strangers trying to overthrow Brother Blood, when she saw the green robes on the balcony.

"Al, lookout!" she shrieked, and somehow that managed to wake up Menos when even grinding gears could not. Aqualad looked up the stairs, seeing for the first time what was probably there all along.

"Hello, Titans. Just thought I would stop in for a visit."

"You… But how?" he stammered, but the only answer Cheshire was intent on giving involved a high jump an what would have been a direct kick to the face had the Atlantean not been fast enough to roll over the railing and off the stairs, Menos hugging his neck the whole way back down to the floor.

Speedy whirled around at the commotion. He couldn't believe his eyes at first because rationalization said that, no, Cheshire could not be in Titans East Tower. She was permanently frozen and locked away in the sewers below Paris with a hundred other criminals.

Evidentially not.

"Es la chica de gato!" Menos rambled as Aqualad set him down. The Atlantean saw that his evasive maneuver left Cheshire incredibly close to an unprotected Mas, though Bumblebee was quick enough to take action. Wings humming with furious speed, the leader of Titans East b-lines straight for Mas and boldly put herself between child and assassin.

Cheshire did just as Bumblebee had suspected and charged her, closing the gap between them with lightening speed. The claws the young murderess were so famous for were drawn back for a strike that could have been the end of a certain biologist had it not been for the sweeping wall of water that shot forth from the pools of water on the other side of the room. Manipulating the water to pack a serious punch, Aqualad slammed Cheshire into the wall with everything he had.

"Come on," Bumblebee said, picking up Mas and quickly vacating the area. "Speedy, activate the security lock down!"

Sense came back to the archer with an abrupt rush of adrenaline. Turning to run towards the control console, he dumped his vacation bag without realizing that his only means of defense was securely stored within. The power cut had left the security module practically useless, Speedy realized, and if the lack of electricity didn't do it then having a teenage Atlantean prince being thrown into the panel certainly would. Speedy narrowly missed being taken out by Aqualad, who had been knocked back with a strength that was almost unheard of and crashed into the keyboard, utterly demolishing it with a pained moan.

"Mas y Menos!" came a familiar battle cry, "Si podemos!"

Flinging water with every movement, Cheshire bounded backwards to safety from the violent red flashes of the twins' movement. The fatigue must have truly been crippling the boys, for on the third attempt to knock Cheshire's legs out from under her the graceful fighter made her move: with a wild toss of her head, Cheshire's tied hair slammed into Menos, sending him sprawling on the floor. A quick kick to the stomach left Mas winded and tumbling in the other direction.

"Here, have a hospitality gift!" roared Bumblebee, throwing a bolt from the one stinger she had been carrying. The other was still in her backpack where it had remained throughout their entire vacation, unused and happy about it. Cheshire herself easily avoided the blast, but the current struck the puddles of water on the floor and followed the assassin

A muffled cry broke out from behind the unflinching mask, though it was brief. No way a professional like Cheshire would have allowed herself to remain distracted for long. With inhuman strength Bumblebee's opponent jumped from the floor and landed on a nearby wall that was dry and free of the electric trap. Those indestructible claws scratched and dug into the wall, holding her up so steady that it all appeared to be an effortless acrobatic stunt. Bumblebee tried to zap at her again but missed; Cheshire performed summersault to put her safely back on the floor and out of harm's way. Bumblebee never got the chance to defend herself from the roundhouse to her head.

In the matter of moments four Titans were down. Just one left to go.

Speedy didn't know what he was doing. His bow was in the zipped duffle within his reach, yet it was a world away. No time to get it out without being pummeled first, but without it he was a dud. It felt like the world was on fast forward but he could only move in slow motion. His hand had gone for the bag while Cheshire was on the far side of the room. By the time fingertips grasped metal she was right there, in his face, mask flashing an overjoyed smile at his unarmed and vulnerable state.

Kneed in the chest, Speedy fell on his back with no sign of the characteristic agility that usually kept his enemies at a distance. Cheshire, on the other hand, was at the top of her game. A fluid motion resulted in the villainess straddling the downed archer, soaked sleeves slipping away to reveal the silvery razors that were her primary weapons. Speedy was happy to see that at least they were not presently coated in the poisons the masked girl crafted so well. Getting hacked at was one thing, but to suffer from poison in a wound was quite another.

The metallic point gleamed in the light at is just barely grazed the tip of Speedy's nose, a curious gesture that could have been taken as playful had it not been carried out with a lethal precision. And even though they weren't her real eyes, Speedy could not tear his gaze away from the painted feline-like mask as the wearer gently promised, "I'll be back for you later, lover boy."

The muffled words stunned the archer, and even after the agile villainess leaped off of him and bounded towards the massive bay windows Speedy found himself incapable of moving. The other Titans had no problem springing back into life, however, and Bumblebee launched a bolt of electricity from her stinger at Cheshire's back. The attack, while not the most honorable of moves, should have put the intruder down for the count. It did not.

Instead of being laid out Cheshire pulled off an impressive back hand spring over the electrical current. When the stinger's attack hit the bay window the glass practically exploded outward, and now provided with a means to leave, Cheshire easily bounded out the gaping hole and plummeted from view. With a curse Aqualad ran to the window to perhaps stop her flight, but all there was to see was a dark, churching ocean.

"She's gone," he announced, turning back to the group. Speedy had finally grown the sense to pick himself up off the floor while the twins raced to Bumblebee's side. The Atlantean exchanged a perplexed look with his team leader, silently representing his clear unease. "What just happened?"

Speedy just sat in a numb silence and Bumblebee, weight shifting from one leg to the other, haplessly murmured, "Our homecoming just got crashed."

---------------------

It had been too late to call Titans West for help that night so the team had to settle for handling the most immediate problems. The primary power generator had been put out of commission by a certain unexpected guest, resulting in the Tower automatically shutting down unnecessary functions to conserve energy. Doors that used to open on their own accord now had to be pried open manually, only a third of the overhead lights now dimly illuminated the hallways and main hub, and the thermostat – one system of two function that was at full capacity, the other being the computer network – was pulling double duty to compensate for the chill wind blowing into the command center's newly broken window. There was plenty of work to do.

Bumblebee, the team member with the most mechanical know-how, had set to work on restoring power. Every so often the lights would flicker to indicate her progress or lack thereof, and after forty minutes Aqualad figured the young woman must have been getting at least mildly frustrated. He couldn't speculate on it too much because his job was to secure a tarp to the frame of the broken window. So far he hadn't been having much luck.

"Can you help me out for a minute?" he called from atop the ladder. Leaping from high planes to water? Sure. But balancing on shaky, narrow ladders was something the Atlantean was not too keen on, and damned if he was going to crack his skull open as Speedy sat on a comfortable chair just twenty feet away.

The archer quickly finished typing in a command into the computer before pushing his seat out. The screen flashed and gave no indication that anything was out of the ordinary which, for some reason, only made him feel more at unease. Speedy picked bow up off the floor.

"I've done four perimeter checks, two internal scans and city-wide search for her. Absolutely nothing. Hold up that corner," he instructed as an afterthought. Aqualad leaned over as far as he dared to support the tarp and keep it as straight as possible. Speedy notched an arrow to his bow and drew back, still talking. "What I don't get is how she got into the Tower without setting off the proximity alarms. This place should have gone on lock down and beeped us the moment she stepped foot inside."

The arrow sang a high note before coming to an abrupt stop with a thunk not too far from Aqualad's head. The tarp's corner became bolted to the wall, letting the seafaring warrior to give his arms a short rest. "What I don't know get is how Cheshire escaped from her permanent sleep," he replied. Another cold gust blew through the unsecured sides of the tarp, sending shivers up the prince's spine.

Thunk, thunk. The top of the makeshift window was now securely fasted to the frame, leaving only gaps that would have to be duct taped over. Aqualad started to climb down to find a roll, only half-listening at Speedy's slow, daunted response.

"She must be pretty crafty."

"Doesn't matter. We'll find her, and we'll find whoever let her loose. I think it was pretty clear that she didn't intend to come back tonight, so try to calm down, Speedy."

"Hm?"

"You just seem really jumpy." Speedy felt an awkward grin coming on. He should have expected Aqualad to pick up on his mood; for some one unaccustomed to dealing with people, the Atlantean was perhaps the most observant person Speedy had ever met. Feeling he was under intense scrutiny the archer had a need to justify his behavior.

"Guess it's just because I've fought her before. More appropriately, I've gotten my ass kicked by her before. Don't know why she didn't do it again today when she had the chance. Would have been easy; I was unarmed."

"Well, you said it yourself: she's crafty. She sabotaged the Tower and laid in wait for us, only to ditch plans of catching us off guard and wiping us out? I doubt that." Aqualad walked across the room to the workbench, opening a couple of drawers of random bits – screws, glue, scissors, and the like – until he finally located some duct tape. He took both it and one of the scissors. "Cheshire was definitely here to send a message, and if that message means the Brotherhood is back then we'll have to act on it. But not tonight."

And when Aqualad walked past Speedy to ascend the groaning ladder once more he leaned over, parted the archer's lips with his own and gave him the briefest of kisses. Before Speedy could force his brain into working order Aqualad had already turned away, preparing to secure the tarp.

What had been going on between the two oldest boys of Titans East was something that neither one of them had been able to really define. To say that they were "dating" was too simplistic for a relationship several months in the making, but on the other hand they were hardly a committed couple. Speedy still had occasional flings outside the team and Aqualad knew that: it was hardly a secret Speedy liked girls, and Aqualad enjoyed his independence anyway. Speedy had suggested the phrase "friends with benefits" once, but hearing it spoken aloud didn't have the right effect. They weren't just friends who occasionally stole kisses or enjoyed wandering hands when no one was looking. There was a bond there, like it or not, and there was no denying they had a love for each other even if it was hardly ardent.

Finally it became clear that no one had ever thought of something to call what Speedy and Aqualad were, so what could the Titans do but leave it at that? They accepted being in unchartered territory. Things seemed to have been working out thus far.

"Why don't you just get some rest? I can handle this," Aqualad suggested. Though Speedy's first instinct was to decline he couldn't push aside the fatigue plaguing his aching body, and for a moment had to fight with himself to keep his act together.

"I'm going to quick issue a bulletin to the suits-" Speedy's own reference to local police. "-and give them a heads up to be on the lookout for a cat masked girl with razor claws wearing a green yukata."

"I'm really surprised you know that it's called a yukata."

He sat down to the computer (not flat panel display) and started typing up a report to send to the Chief of Police, whom would probably grumble about getting an APB at two in the morning before eventually sending it out to the other officers. "TV has taught me everything I need to know to move to Japan. The US has to import these lame cartoons now because we apparently can't make our own."

"You're still watching cartoons?"

"The twins, man. I still don't get why Spanish speaking kids watch those shows from Japan. Language barriers."

Aqualad wasn't much of a TV person so the reference was lost on him. Instead he changed the subject. "You know by the time anyone sees her it'll be too late. She'll have either fled or completely taken them out."

"At least this way they'll know what hit them. You sure you don't want me to help you?"

"Go to bed."

Speedy sighed, stood up and adjusted the quiver strap on his shoulder. No point in arguing when all that would come out of his mouth was a drab yawn, so Speedy grumbled some manner of good night to the Atlantean and trudged out the formerly automatic door which now sat wide open, devoid of any power.

The shadowy hall loomed on into a dark eternity, giving the archer ample time to realize how much shit he had gotten himself into. Eight months. It had been eight long months since the Brotherhood of Evil catastrophe which had landed almost all of the Teen Titans – including himself, thank you Cheshire – biologically frozen in time. If they had wanted to the Brotherhood could have easily killed all those they had captured, but they'd gotten cocky. They thought they had frozen everyone who could have made a difference, and aside from a few straggling Titans whom had retreated to regroup, world domination and all that bull was theirs.

Had it not been for Beast Boy's determination to make it happen there would have been no resistance, no upheaval, and no salvation. Just a bunch of statues on a shelf to mock for all eternity. Now, the Justice League probably would have intervened sooner or later, but who knows what could have resulted from that. The Brotherhood might have used the Titans as hostages for leverage or just killed them all on the spot. The Teen Titans had lucked out.

And then Speedy had to go and push it. Looking back it all seemed so stupid. What had he been thinking? Now everyone could be facing the same danger all over again, and this time their luck probably wouldn't be enough.

He reached his room, the clearly printed letters of his alias distinguishing his personal space from the identical doors of the others. Speedy stood in front of it for more than a moment, so lost in thought that he'd forgotten that it wasn't about to open itself for him. It took some time to remember the power was still being conserved, and with some annoyance at himself the teenager slid his fingers in the crevice of the door so that he could muscle it open. The mechanical gears resisted at first but soon gave in to his strength. Speedy entered his bedroom using only the little light from the hall to navigate since there was no hope of closing the door again anyway.

The bow hit the floor first, then quiver. Speedy began peeling off his shirt so that it could follow its predecessors (and about two weeks worth of dirty laundry) down there too when a glittering light outside his window caught his eye. The archer swore beneath his breath, bounded across the room and crouched on the ledge of the window sill. He scanned the outside for movement or a sign of something that should not be there – particularly a girl with excellent wall scaling skills – but saw nothing but the twinkling movement of the ocean several stories below.

"I'm loosing it," he muttered to himself, stepping off the sill and trying to avoid the fragile belongings of his that probably should not have been stored on the floor. To think, none of this would have happened had he not given Cheshire a loophole; an opportunity to free herself from her frozen prison. It had been a very, very small chance, but it had set Speedy's mind at ease from guilt knowing that he'd given her something.

Now he was feeling guilt of a different kind. She was out in Steele City, probably planning to cause all hell, and it was all thanks to him. And for what? She wouldn't have done the same thing for him – not unless she was feeling incredibly indulgent and absolutely sure he had no means of escape. She was one the bad guys from the start, one of the absolute worst, and the ease of which she captured and sacrificed the archer to The Brain indicated no signs of obvious grief.

Speedy's team was in danger and it was his fault.

Even though he was dog tired Speedy's bed wasn't as welcoming as he'd hoped. Sleep seemed to be a distant goal with his head raveled up in all these thoughts of what a moron he could be sometimes. He felt around on the floor for the remote to his TV but stopped short, remembering the damn power shortage. He wished Bumblebee would hurry up with the generator. Or accept some help, at least. Being the only girl on the team meant she felt a need to assert her alpha female status and take charge, which didn't always have the best results. Then again, Speedy didn't have room to talk: Aqualad had been chosen second in command over him for a reason, and that reason was most certainly his ego.

At one time Speedy thought that she might be "the one". Most girls he dated were push-over personalities with high pitched laughs that rang out at even the lamest of jokes. Not Cheshire. Not Jade. She was a "shut the hell up and listen when I'm talking to you" kind of girl, the kind that would kick your ass into gear if you stepped out of line. And Speedy absolutely loved it. Losing her might have been why Speedy was such a frequent browser of available young women in nigh clubs and forgot their names the next morning, sometimes within the hour. Depended on how easily the chick put out. But Cheshire definitely had something to do with his touch-and-go relationship with Aqualad, who was a take no bullshit person himself.

Realizing he'd been trying to recreate his thing for Cheshire through the Atlantean proved that he could, in fact, feel even shittier than he currently was.

Twisting to a pose that was hardly graceful, Speedy pulled off his boots one at a time and threw them across the room. His famous aim wasn't with him as Speedy was fairly certain that the shoes were at least several feet apart, but as long as they were at least in the same room it was fine. Maybe the creator of the soft footsteps coming down the hall would trip on them and break their neck if they tried to enter. Speedy fell still, listening hard.

Not the twins. They were already asleep by now and these steps were too far apart for their size. Bumblebee wore boots that would have clicked on the hard floor, and Aqualad's room was on the ground level. In an instant of irrational panic the archer wondered if it could possibly be her, coming down the hallways for him in her soft soled boots, intending to make good on her promise tonight after all. Whatever she had meant when she said she'd be back was still subject to speculation: if it meant kidnapping him and whisking him away or just slitting his throat as he slept, Speedy was almost positive he didn't want to know what Cheshire had in store for him.

When Aqualad peeked around the door Speedy realized he wouldn't be finding out tonight. "Jesus, you scared the hell out of me, you little spy."

"Not a spy," Aqualad insisted, "Just checking in. I thought you might not be sleeping."

"Didn't know you were my new babysitter. Did Bumblebee leave a list of emergency contact information?"

"She probably should have. It's been almost two hours now, so I went down to see how she was doing with the power."

"And?"

The Atlantean smirked. "Do you have any electricity right now?"

"You would have been locked out of here if there was."

"Then we can assume it's not going very well. I went down to check on our esteemed leader and narrowly escaped a ratchet thrown in frustration. Cheshire must have really done a number on the wiring to get Bee that upset."

Speedy sat propped up on his elbows, eyes straining to make out his companions' silhouette with the little illumination they did have. It was for his own good that it was dark, he reasoned, because if Aqualad could see Speedy's face he probably would have picked up on the distress in an instant.

Aqualad entered the room without invitation and expertly made his way around the tools and clothes on the floor until he reached Speedy's bed. The mattress sank from the gentle weight of the Atlantean's body sitting on the edge.

"Will you tell me what's wrong now? What's really bothering you?" he asked, leaning back and draping himself across Speedy's torso. The way he was settling in was a sure sign that he was going to have a conversation with Speedy whether he liked it or not. Resolve fading, the archer decided that he just as well come out with something. Not the whole story, but an indicator of his discomfort.

"Cheshire. When she pinned me to the floor she pretty much let me know she was going to return; that she would be coming back… for me."

Aqualad turned his head to face him. "Speedy, why didn't you say so before? This is really serious. You could be in a lot of danger."

"I don't think so. Not right at this moment, anyway. Like you said, she wouldn't have purposefully thrown away the advantage of catching us off guard if she was just going to launch an attack. All she was here to do was make her presence known to us. To rattle my nerves." He felt a surge of angry panic growing in his chest, all of it directed at himself. "It's working."

"Why though? This isn't the first time she's come after you. It's like she's making it personal."

Lie. That was his first instinct. Lie. "Yeah, well, women are just drawn to me. I can't help it if they're inherently evil."

"Oh, listen to you talk," teased Aqualad, his smile still brilliant even in the shadows. He rolled over carefully so that he was on his stomach, resting now on Speedy's chest. The archer suspected Aqualad's placement of an elbow jabbing into his ribs was no accident. "Tomorrow you have to tell Bumblebee about this. You've been threatened, so we have to decide as a group the best way to protect you."

Speedy grimaced. "Whatever."

"I'm not joking. If you don't then I will."

"Got it, thanks. I'll bring it up in the morning, but that's still a few hours away from now." Finally he grabbed Aqualad's arm, no longer able to tolerate the hard pressure in his side and forcefully moved his elbow. The former prince, devoid of his supporting arm, had to rest flat against the redhead. Now his chin dug into the archer's collarbone, but that was a pain Speedy could withstand. In fact, it was almost unnoticeable with the hot breaths pulsing against his exposed throat.

"I see. And talking to Bumblebee right now could prove disastrous. It's probably a good idea to just sit it out for a while," Aqualad was saying. Was Speedy listening? With the body of a tan, handsome and toned swimmer pressing against him his focus was almost nonexistent. Aqualad likely knew it. "Which leaves me to wonder how you're going to spend your time between now and then since you're obviously not sleeping."

"Bet you I can find something to do."

"Bet you you can." A shift, a brief contact of lusty gazes and their lips met in a hard kiss. No tentative touches or hesitance befell the pair: they'd been through all that, done all of that before, and decided they had no use for it. They weren't spellbound lovers exploring each other for the first time here. Speedy and Aqualad were teammates, rivals, friends.

"Mmph." Aqualad pulled back, laughing slightly. "You really need to shave."

"Forgive me," the archer said indulgently, just before twisting in a way that gave him the upper hand. The Atlantean hadn't the time to response before Speedy rolled them over, taking the high ground, and leaning down to rub the day-old stubble of his jaw against the sensitive skin of his partner's cheek. Aqualad writhed beneath him, laughing and trying to push him away but with little success. "Sorry about that. I wasn't exactly expecting any company tonight you know."

"Ow, stop! Stop!" how he could sputter out anything between gasps for air and laughter was amazing to Speedy. He was amazing. His body, intelligence, courage, smile, voice, eyes – fuck society and its need to put people in neat little narrow minded roles, Speedy thought. So they weren't "boyfriends". So they weren't exclusively seeing one another or hanging off each other all the time. None of it mattered, because with the Atlantean pinned beneath him, hair tussled and smiling that rare smile Speedy realized they were just an undefined thing. And as long as there was love there wasn't that good enough?

Worked for them.