-1A/N: SHUT UP I'LL TAKE AS MUCH TIME AS I WANT. Heh. Yeah, it's been, what, a few months now? Sorry, I got all obsessed with zombies.
Disclaimer: Awww you thought they were mine? Well then, you were WRONG.
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The two of them standing next to each other with Red X's arm draped around Robin's shoulders drew too many gazes for their liking. Damn Peds, Tyler thought irritably, but brushed it off when he heard music and saw a bar.
"This is…"
"Not what you were expecting?" Tyler asked lightly as he led them out onto the crowded dance floor.
"No."
"Well, think about it this way; these are more like low-rate criminals rather than top gods like Slade or The Brotherhood."
"Uh…Tyler?"
Said thief looked at him. "Yes?"
"Why are we dancing?"
It was a good question, considering they were supposed to be working on the group of odd bastards toward the back.
"We're blending in." Tyler replied casually, hands resting on Robin's hips. What a lovely distraction. So, they dealt with each other for ten or so minutes while dancing as each tried to keep an eye on the men they were tailing. Normally, with anyone who wasn't Red X this would have been easy. Even Starfire wouldn't have made Robin nervous like this. Another thing was all the…touching…Tyler kept running his hand up his partner's side, tapping the side of his waist…Not the mention, that the top hook of Robin's (technically, Tyler's) top kept coming undone. This wouldn't be such a problem is it didn't prompt his companion to fix it every time.
Well I'm not paralyzed / but I seem to be struck by you / I wanna make you move / because you're standing still / and if your body matches / what your eyes can do / you'll probably move right through / me on my way to you.
Eventually, finally, they dragged themselves over to a table in the left center of the club. Tyler had that I don't know what you're talking about look on his face, which meant he knew exactly how annoyed Robin was.
The blonde ignored his companion, instead snagging a glass off the tray of a passing waitress. Robin blinked, annoyed for a completely different reason, and pointedly kept his attention on the criminals at the back, all conversing at a table.
"You don't drink?" Tyler asked, swishing the red tinted liquid in the cheap wine glass.
Robin was frowning, shaking his head. No, he didn't drink; he wasn't old enough to-
Unexpectedly, he found that Tyler had pressed the glass to his lips, and he opened his mouth, swallowing down a bit of the alcohol. His lips thinned at the burning taste, and he swallowed again to get rid of it.
"No? Well then," Tyler set down the glass, "at least you never have to worry about getting screwed over while drunk."
"That's a lovely sentiment."
"You realize how much I worry about you," Tyler said mockingly.
Robin snickered, the corners of his lips tilting up almost unwillingly. Damn sneaky bastard of a thief.
There seemed to be a shifting in the atmosphere, and both young men tensed. At the back, their criminals were moving upstairs. Robin licked his lips. "I have to use the restroom." He remarked lightly.
Tyler, gaze somewhere else, nodded. "It's a bit smoky in here. I'll be outside."
To anyone else, it would seem as if the two were leaving. Therefore, they met no problems. Tyler left to go outside, standing in front of the door. Everyone was inside, dancing, drinking, working. His eyes ran up the side of the building, taking note of the many handholds he could see so easily in the light of the moon and flickering lamp.
Robin, meanwhile, was staring at the small (but not too small) window in the men's room. After a moment of checking to see no one was in here, he clutched the side of stall, placed his boot against the wall, and pulled himself up to the opening.
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Tyler crawled quietly along the second floor wall. This was child's play to a thief, especially a thief like him, and as he absently jumped over a small hole in the ledge, he wondered how Robin was doing.
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Robin was doing just fine. As a matter of fact, he was thinking the same thing about Tyler, seeing as how he was already on the roof. His skin felt too hot; his palms were sweaty. He hated it when one of his teammate disappeared or took too long, and although Tyler wasn't a teammate, he was a…a something to him. He strolled over to the edge, glancing down, and did a double take. "Tyler!" he hissed in shock.
Tyler glanced up and gave a silent smile from the side of the building he was clinging too. Robin was directly above the window, and Tyler was just to its left. Exasperated, Robin swung down with startling grace to the window's other side.
"What do you mean you contacted-"
"Shut up, you fool! The music is loud, but not that loud!" Snapped another, slightly panicked, voice.
"I wouldn't have to yell if we could keep communication open! This- this- he wants to send another call to Slade!"
Robin went rigid at the name, and Tyler noticed.
"That's enough! He would have found out sooner or later, you know he would, what with that rat reporting to him."
"Speaking of which, do we know who said rat is yet?"
"No. None of the men have even the slightest clue."
"We can't do anything about that; we'll just deal with Slade for now. We'll have to contact him agai-"
"You can. I'm sure as hell not."
"Don't tell me you fear that man."
"Don't you?"
"…we'll get one of the subordinates to call. But meanwhile, is the shipment ready? Do we have enough-"
"Yes, yes, it's fine."
There was a scraping of chairs, a shuffle of feet across the floor. Tyler's attention was now fully on Robin, who was pale and silent.
When they were speeding away, Tyler's head resting on Robin's shoulder, he spoke.
"Not much, is it?"
"…it's enough." Tyler didn't like the sound of his voice, but he was relieved he at least got an answer.
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They reached Titan's Tower with no trouble whatsoever. With no response to the other's, Robin tossed the tiny recorder to Cyborg and practically ran to his room.
"Let me guess." Raven said as the crowd dispersed, each member looking confused. "It has something to do with Slade."
Tyler whipped around to stare. "Is it obvious?"
"He always runs to his room when it's Slade."
Tyler recalled Robin's room, the walls covered with articles and newspaper clippings. "Does he think he'll suddenly realize a connection between this group and Slade? Nothing's happened with Slade for months; this ring of outlaws has barely started-"
"He thinks he missed something." Raven cut abruptly. Tyler stared. "He thinks he always missed something…where Slade is concerned."
Raven told him to be patient. Tyler could be patient. After two hours, however, his patience was wearing thin.
"What the hell does he think he's going to do, stay in there all night?" He looked at Raven, expecting reassurance. Instead, he received muttered words that sounded suspiciously like 'well, that's what he usually does'.
He stood. "No. No, no, no fucking way. He is not locking himself up in there for hours - does he always do this? Don't you guys try to stop him? Hell, does he even eat?!" And he was off, running to Robin's room. Raven blinked, and sighed. Maybe, hopefully, Tyler would be good for Robin. At the very least, he could knock Robin out and her leader could get some sleep.
There was a startling bang! as Tyler threw Robin's door open. Robin jumped, a few papers sliding to the floor.
"Tyler- what-" Robin made a dash for the papers, grabbing pages while trying to figure out what he was doing. No one disturbed him, save Starfire, who he always told that he's eat later-
"You." Tyler stated, grabbing his shoulder - ow, his fingers were digging into his skin, thanks - and dragging him up. "What are you doing?"
"I'm working, you idiot. Let go-ow!" Tyler had just dug his nails in deeper. "What was that for?"
"You need to stop."
Stop? Stop what? Working? Hell no. "I haven't found anyt-"
"Yeah, and you're not gonna, Kid. Not like this."
"But I-"
"No!"
There was a pause, where Robin tried to think of a response. None the Titans has ever tried to stop him from working. Not when it was Slade, when it was so important.
And just who the hell did Tyler think he was, anyway? "Tyler, you are so out of line-"
"Kid." Tyler looked at him. Robin didn't know what it was, but he suddenly felt odd; he looked away.
"I have to."
"No." Tyler pulled him a few inches closer. "Not right now; you've done enough." No room for argument. His voice, so blunt before, took on a coaxing tone. "Relax for awhile. Come take a shower with me."
Was he suddenly having trouble breathing? His hands rested on Tyler's chest, and he looked back at the papers. "I have work."
"Not right now." His voice was low, hands holding Robin's wrists. "Shower." He pulled Robin to the door, looking pleased. Robin glanced back just as Tyler slid an arm around his waist, guiding him away from his work.
Raven glanced over the top of the magazine she was reading, watching as the two boys walked down the hall. Amazing. She smiled, a small knot of apprehension uncurling in her stomach, and went back to reading.
Of course, it would seem that Robin hadn't actually realized what he was doing until he had to undress. A shower? They were taking a shower together? Who decided that?
There wasn't much he could say when Tyler started peeling off his clothes, however. Not that he could speak, mind you, he was so caught off guard. In a few minutes, Tyler's clothes were in a heap on the white tile, his gaze roving over Robin's body. Robin, completely unused to this, stared at their clothes.
Tyler took a step forward and Robin checked his reaction to back up a pace. Hands, warm, strong hands, were on his shoulders, and before he'd fully turned his attention forward, Tyler was kissing him. Robin's hands, used to being in action, flinched. Then those hands were trailing down his arms, his wrists, and clasping his fingers, leading him into the shower stall. Deciding to let the other lead, Robin followed, eyes tightly closed. He heard the water start, the sounds of Tyler trying to get the temperature right.
What was he doing? What were they doing?
"Wait a min-mph." Tyler's mouth again, arms encircling his wait. Oh, wait. They-
Robin managed to pull back a fraction, at least enough to breathe and talk. They were wet, hot water and steam, and his chest was pressed to the older boy's in turn. "You're -fast." Robin said, trying to keep from touching any more of him. Actually, this was too fast.
He felt as much as heard the chuckle, and a kiss was pressed to his ear. "Don't worry. I don't expect too much right now." said the voice in that tone that made Robin want to just close his eyes and relax and let whatever was going to happen just happen.
Tyler reached past Robin to redirect the showerhead at the wall for a moment. Robin, and he knew he was nervous now, was standing silent, resting his forehead against his shoulder. He knew he couldn't rush into things, because that would ruin it. So, he when he pushed Robin to the (now warm) shower wall, he really wasn't planning anything too devious.
Not that he was going to tell Robin that.
He buried his face into the space just below Robin's jaw, who let him bite at his neck. The tension in his arms drained away, one resting around the blonde's hips, the other's palm on the tile. He pressed every inch of the younger boy's body to his, who let a shaky breath and leaned forward.
They spent around an hour in their, just touching and pressing and kissing until finally they had to go to sleep, or they'd collapse.
The clock shown a dim 11:46 when they reentered Robin's room, both clad in towels, hair damp, bodies exhausted. They landed on the bed, not even bothering to get dressed, and clung to each other. Robin glanced, once, over at the papers still strewn on the floor and desk, but Tyler pulled the covers over them and that was that.
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A/N: Nnn…$&ing writer's block…I wrote this chapter in a few hours:angry crickets chirp: I'm sorry, but hey! Be happy; I updated and struggled through writer's block for you. ::Glances at writing:: I fear that it shows, too. Song is Paralyzer by Finger Eleven.