UPDATED MARCH 2013

Disclaimer: See Prologue


.:. Bound To You .:.

Chapter 2


It had been a very long night. What should have taken two hours to accomplish took five.

Jinx had escaped from her cell at the metahuman prison on AlcatrazIsland the night before and was being an exceptional pain in the ass in the current night's seemingly never-ending battle. Kory couldn't figure it out, but something was different; it had never taken the Titans more than two hours to apprehend Jinx.

She was no detective, but she wondered if perhaps, maybe, someone had set up an illegal training facility inside of the prison- or even worse- she had come in contact with another criminal that was able to enhance her powers. Kory shook her head at the thought. Dick was the Titan's deductive mind- had being with him for so long rubbed off on her?

She walked up to the bedroom door and created a bolt in her palm getting ready to fight her way through the darkness. Not wanting to wake up her boyfriend, she opened the door slowly to avoid making any unnecessary noise. She crept through the bedroom towards the bed, taking extra precaution against the lose debris cluttering the bedroom floor.

I definitely need to clean tomorrow, she thought as she climbed in under the bed sheets- again, trying desperately to be discreet in hopes of not waking Dick up.

"Hey, you're home." Dick mumbled keeping his eyes closed.

The voice startled Kory causing her makeshift light to go hurling towards the bedroom door.

"Oh!" Kory gasped and immediately slapped her hand over her chest. "Dick you frightened me! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" she said between intakes of breath.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." The crash between the star bolt and the metal door was enough to wake him up completely. Dick was now focusing all of his efforts into pulling himself into a sitting position, using his forearms.

"It is okay. I will find a way to pop the dent out of the door tomorrow. Sorry." Kory frowned, slightly embarrassed.

Dick let out a small laugh, "Kory its fine. Don't be embarrassed." He gently pulled her down to his chest and began stroking her hair. "Are you feeling okay? You seem a little," Dick thought carefully as he chose the right word, "different today. I hope you aren't upset with me."

"Oh no Dick, I am not; it has just been a weird day. That is all."

Dick remained silent prompting her to continue with her story.

"Jinx is stronger. More powerful. I really wish you had been there to assess the situation. It took five hours...five hours, Dick. I do not think the other Titans feel that it is anything to worry about; perhaps your absence did have an impact."

Dick nodded, continuing to stroke her hair.

"And we had to send her right back to the place that she just escaped from with the greatest of ease- its very frustrating."

"We all get frustrated about it, Kor, but we don't have any other choice; all we can do is send her back and hope that they beef up security enough that it doesn't happen again." Dick knew all too well about the pains of unreliable detainment facilities. Perhaps, in the morning he could call up Roy and ask them to keep a watch out over there. In fact, the more he thought about it, he couldn't believe that they hadn't caught Jinx before she arrived in JumpCity. The metahuman prison is in their territory, afterall.

"Perhaps, next time we can choose to send her to S.T.A.R labs. At least if she breaks out there, we are close enough to stop her."

"Kory, you can't mean that. S.T.A.R labs is a horrible place, they would torture her."

"...maybe she deserves it? She chose her own path." She said harshly, not knowing if she truly meant it or not.

Dick sighed. He didn't want to argue, something was definitely wrong. Kory never spoke cruelly about anyone and here she was now, agreeing with torture.

"Okay, what's really bothering you?"

"I know not of what you mean, Dick."

Dick gave her his trademark "just tell me" look.

Feeling his eyes on her, Kory parted her lips to speak; she may as well get everything off her chest. It would probably make me feel a lot better.

"I am having a few issues with my family," Kory began. "I found out today that my brother, Ryand'r, has disappeared."

Dick watched her with sad eyes. He felt like interrupting her with some words of consolation, but decided against it.

"I just...really do not wish to speak about it. I would rather keep up hope that he is alive out there than to accept his death."

Dick nodded in understanding. "Is that all?"

"My father has contracted an illness that has left him with only a few months to live; a year if he is lucky. Either way, he is not fit to rule and Tamaran is involved in a brutal civil war; I fear for my planet and my people."

"Is it something that you need to go take care of? Is there even anything that you would be able to do?"

Yes.

"Sadly, if I went to Tamaran, it would be the end of you and me." Kory purposely concealed additional information, particularly the fact that a betrothal awaited her on Tamaran, in fear that Dick may overreact. "I am afraid that my people may not take to the idea of their princess 'mating' with an Earth being."

"Mating? As far as I know, we don't have any children...right?"

"No Dick, I am not pregnant if that is what you are suggesting," she said in a tone of frustration. "On Tamaran, to engage in sexual behavior is to mate."

"I know, Kory, I was just trying to give you a hard time; I'm sorry. I really shouldn't be joking right now."

"You are right; this is no joking matter. My father has banished you from Tamaran; therefore, banishing me as long as I am with you."

"You know, Kor, someone told me once that 'you can't support someone who doesn't support you'; they were right. Things will work out on your planet; he shouldn't place such a large burden on your shoulders."

He will never understand what it is like to hold the fate of your planet in the palms of your hands.

"I just do not want to live without you,"

Nevertheless, I may have to.

Dick lifted her head off his chest and turned her head towards his. In her eyes, he saw the strong amount of devotion that she had for him and as always, it made his heart melt.

"Kory, I'm not planning on going anywhere."

She remained silent, daring to remain quiet about the rest of her situation. She would alert him later if needed; there was no need to worry him now. Hopefully, this was something that she would be able to work out on her own.

Dick grabbed the bottom of her chin with his index finger and brought her lips to his, encasing them with a soft and gentle kiss. It took all of his inner strength to break away from her as she tried to deepen the kiss. "As much as I wish I wanted to, I'm in so much pain that even the idea of sex is unappealing to me."

Kory nodded, not planning on a retreat yet. "Poor Richard...all broken and injured," she said in a sultry voice as she grazed his inner thigh with her hand. "It is too bad."

Dick inhaled sharply as her hand moved across his rapidly growing member. "You are a terrible, terrible person," he said somewhat seriously. "This falls under cruel and unusual punishment, I'm sure of it."

Kory chuckled as she continuously drew a figure 8 on his crotch with the tip of her finger. "Sorry, I will cease. I need to move this into the shower, anyway."

"Oh God, Kory, you're killing me..." Dick groaned as she moved off the bed and proceeded to strip off her uniform.

Kory grabbed her bathrobe hanging on the closet door and proceeded to the bathroom. "Sorry, you cannot join me...maybe next time."

She walked through the bathroom door and smiled when she heard him groan in sexual frustration.

I really should not punish him like that, but it is so much fun.

Kory started the hot water and tested it before climbing in.

What am I going to do?

Perhaps if Dick and I were to get married...what would they even be able to say about it? Would they accept it?

Kory began to reflect on her relationship with Dick. Six years…what a long time. Since her arrival on Earth, Kory had desperately tried to take in everything that she possibly could. She read books, watched movies, conducted experiments- or rather watched Dick conduct experiments- she jumped at the chance of learning anything new. She wasn't as naïve as she used to be and over the years, she was seeing that maybe it wasn't such a good thing; ignorance was indeed blissful.

She had learned a lot about coupling over the years and she knew enough to know that most successful relationships end in marriage and maybe children if the couple is lucky.

Does Dick even want to marry me? Does he think about it?

She had to admit that she was growing a bit impatient. There were times when she thought about bringing it up, but the fear of rejection stopped her dead in her tracks.

Is there even a good way to bring up anything like that?

She knew Dick's affections were genuine, but did he feel as though they were strong enough to support a future with her? Like the future that I envision with him?

Dick was never good at showing his emotions and because of that, Kory felt as though they weren't as close as other couples she had observed on movies and television shows; the difference had left her more than slightly confused.

Should I just marry Sorond'r for the sake of my planet or wait around for Dick to ask me to marry him on his? If Dick knew that I was already promised to another man, would it be over between us or would he fight to keep me? Sadly, she was too afraid to find out.

She turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. She assumed that she stayed in there long enough to allow Dick's mind to wander. She slid her bathrobe over her shoulders and walked into the bedroom where Dick laid fast asleep.

She carefully climbed into the bed and moved in close to Dick, trying to avoid hurting his ribs.

He moaned and stretched out his arm, encouraging her to lay on it; she obliged.

A couple of minutes passed and Kory spoke up.

"Dick, I want you to know just how lucky I am to have you in my life. I do not think there was ever a time, after my mother died, that I felt true unlimited love. My dad will not accept me unless I marry a Tamaranean warrior picked out by him and my sister has tried to murder me multiple times out of jealousy and spite." Kory took a deep breath. She and Dick never really talked about their pasts much. She knew the basics, of his life, but not the deep and dark details. She had always been curious, but too afraid to ask. Maybe talking about her past would help him open up about his.

Of course, she knew that he was asleep; but it felt good to say it.

Letting out a sigh, she decided that she needed to go to sleep before she got sad. She would worry about everything later...another day.