"Bzzt! Bzzt!" The doorbell again. Why did every sudden noise make Robin expect an emergency call? It was Halloween, but they were getting a lot more 911s than trick-or-treaters. He begrudgingly walked to the door, grabbing the bowl of candy Beast Boy had prepared en route, and pressed the button. The door slid open. On the porch stood a grinning replica of himself, down to the yellow-and-black cape and dark, spiky hair. His eyes narrowed.
"Hey, Robby!"
He scowled. "I'm not amused." He moved to shut the door, but the young man put his foot in the way, and Robin accidentally slammed the door into the misplaced foot. His lookalike jumped back with a gasp and hopped back on his unhurt foot.
"Ow! Damn, I think it's broken..."
Robin stepped forward to get a better look, guilt taking over. "It's probably not, I just, lemme lo-."
And then in an instant the other boy had his hands on Robin's waist, and then he'd pulled the hero's utility belt off and he was off running, no sign of injury in his foot.
Robin stared dumbfounded for a split second before collecting himself and sprinting after the thief. The chase was on.
---
They were nearing the Jump Central Park, and Robin was gaining on the impostor, counting steps in his head as he forced his feet to hit the ground just a bit more often than the other boy's. They reached the park, and Robin was just behind the other now. He put on one burst of speed and tackled the other boy, knocking him onto the grassy field where the park began. Robin was shoved off quickly, but when he came up he was holding the stolen belt, grinning. He aimed a mechanism on it, and pressed the button, expecting ropes to wrap around the other boy. Nothing happened, and the pseudo Robin smirked, pressing the identical button on the belt around his waist. Real Robin was tied up forcefully. "That was the trick." the impostor said, crawling towards Robin.
Robin had a sudden flash of recollection as he heard the other young man's voice. "Red X?!"
A quick nod. "Now here's the treat." He wrapped his arms around the tied Robin, holding him upright and close to him, and leaned in. He nuzzled Robin's nose with his own, gently, as if asking a question, then softly found Robin's lips and caressed them with his own. Robin murmured, low and passionate and somewhat confused, and X touched Robin's upper lip with his tongue. It was chapped, warm, and yielding. X pulled him closer, tangling his hand in Robin's hair, and kissed him sweetly. Robin shivered, and Red X felt the hair on the nape of his neck stand up with goosebumps. He pulled back to see how Robin was taking this, and found his enemy, now his partner, leaning toward him, searching. He answered with another kiss, more passionate and demanding this time, and Robin's mouth opened to X's wandering tongue, which satiated its curiosity with the feel of Robin's teeth, the roof of his mouth, his tongue...then stopped.
X pulled away, his breath uneven, his hand still in Robin's hair. Robin's eyes opened, and he looked to X in surprise and confusion. X sighed, and briefly squeezed the hero in his arms before gathering up his courage and peeling off his fake Robin mask with the hand that had been in Robin's hair. "My name's Ben," he said breathlessly, watching Robin's reaction.
The boys' eyes widened as he peered into his enemy's bright green eyes. "Ben?"
"Yeah."
"I can't tell you who I am."
"S'OK; I know," Ben murmured, and Robin sighed. He rested his head on X's shoulder as the thief cut loose his ropes. Robin didn't move, even when he was free.
"We can't do this." he protested.
"You mean we shouldn't."
"No. I CAN'T."
X just pulled him closer. "Shhh..." he said soothingly, tracing patterns on Robin's back with his fingertips. Robin stayed this way for a minute, still and silent in X's arms, his head against the thief's chest, before realizing what he was doing. Superheros don't like being coddled. And they should never relax so near an enemy. It didn't matter that all he felt from Ben was concern and comfort. The other boy was still Red X, and to be so close to him and not expect a trap was nothing but naive.
He lifted his head up, knowing he should punch X unconscious, grab the belt, and run. But he found he couldn't do it. Instead, shyly and uncertainly, he softly kissed X's jaw, then his cheek, his nose, the corner of his mouth...
As he kissed the thief, his arms moved around him, hoping he wouldn't notice. He was kissing X soundly now, and X was kissing back, and Robin found himself distracted. He forced himself to concentrate, and gingerly unfastened the belt from around Ben's waist. X's hands caught Robin's elbows, and Robin's heartrate jumped. But X didn't try to stop him as he slipped the belt off and dropped it to the grass at his side. X pulled back a bit. "I don't care about your belt," he muttered, again nuzzling Robin's nose. "I just want you."
Robin stiffened. "What do you want me for? Who are you working for?" His hands were clenched in fists, and Ben slowly unclenched them, and interlaced their fingers as he spoke.
"No ulterior motives. I'm not working for anyone else. I. Just. Want. You."
"You can't have me. I'm already part of the Titans. And I won't steal from people."
"I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you to allow yourself to be stolen."
"That's cryptic."
"It's not. You don't have to become a criminal. You don't have to steal things. I just want a little of your time, and I want you to spend it with me."
"I still have to be a hero. And heroes don't associate with people like you. Besides, I'm not gay."
Ben gave a low chuckle. "I felt the way you kissed me. Forgive me if I don't think you're *that* good of an actor." Before Robin could protest, he slid his hand under the hero's shirt and drew a light, teasing circle with his finger on Robin's back. Robin shivered, his heartrate accelerating and his breathing shaky. "See?" asked Ben gently.
"Even if I was...even if I did... " Robin began, looking up at Ben, his eyes pleading. Ben removed his hand and listened. "I *can't*."
"No one has to find out. Just the two of us. We'll still fight each other in public. I'll even let you arrest me once or twice, if it comes to that. As far as the world will know, nothing will have changed. All you have to do is spend a bit of time away from the Tower occasionally...tell the Titans you're going on a walk. Get pizza with me instead. Just a few hours a week, and you can keep your communicator on just in case. It won't interfere with your work at all. Please." X was the one pleading now, imploring Robin to listen. "Just give me a chance. I swear you won't regret it."
Robin shook his head, unable to look at Ben. Ben took Robin's face in his hands, tilting it up to him.
"Can I just see your eyes?"
Robin paused, then finally nodded, guardedly.
He closed his eyes as Ben slowly, ever-so-carefully, peeled off his Robin mask, the last wall between himself and the rest of the world. He felt the cool breeze on his eyelids, and X's thumbs brushing his hair back behind his ears. Ben waited patiently until Robin opened his eyes. Ironically, they were the color of a robin's egg, impossibly bright and purely blue. X was transfixed. "Just look at me," he whispered, "and tell me you don't want us together. And I'll go. Really. Won't bother you again."
Robin looked at him and opened his mouth, but no words came out. He shook his head helplessly. "I can't...do this," he managed to get out, looking away.
Ben cupped Robin's chin in his hand to try to get Robin to look at him, but the hero pushed him away and stood up, picking up his belt and fastening it around his waist. "I have to go," he said, turning and moving away.
"Wait!" X yelled, and for some reason Robin turned back. "Your mask..." He picked it up and walked over to Robin, handing it to him silently. Robin just nodded his thanks, placed his mask back over his eyes, turned, and left.
Ben knew he could follow him. He could be stealthy, and track him from several blocks behind. Or he could simply refuse to leave Robin's side. He chose neither, knowing that as much as he dreaded letting the hero leave his sight, Robin would need time alone to really consider what had happened. Perhaps he'd get to him still. He lay down in the grass, replacing his own Robin mask, and couldn't stop himself from calling out three last words. "Happy Halloween, kid!"