Dick grunted in frustration as he stared at himself in the full length mirror. He could never be content with his attire for anything and when it came to wearing fancy clothing; his irritation meter was at maximum. The shirt and bow tie made him feel claustrophobic, not to mention the fact that he couldn't, for the life of him, successfully do a bow tie. In complete honesty, he had so much trouble doing up a bow tie that he once had to research it online and even then, he failed miserably at it.
Biting his lip, he tried tying the bow tie for a 6th time in less than 10 minutes. His heart pumped harder as he almost had it but it fell apart at the last moment. He let out a loud groan in annoyance.
Suddenly, Kori appeared in the mirror as she leaned against the frame in a bathrobe. Dick tried averting his eyes but to no avail, he glanced at her long shapely legs and his eyes scanned upwards until they rested upon her angel like face.
"Are you alright, Richard?" She asked, taking a couple of steps into the room,
"Yeah..." He hesitated, "No. I hate bow ties and it's making me go insane!"
Kori giggled and wandered closer to him. She gently pulled on his arm to make him turn towards her. Her fingers delicately began straightening out the bow tie before beginning to tie it the right way.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready too?" Dick queried, not bothering to stop himself from staring at the robe around her body.
Kori shrugged, "Not just yet... You are expected to be there earlier than I; Bruce asked that of you." Kori paused, "And we also agreed not to do the carpooling to the venue together... I certainly have more time than you,"
Dick nodded slowly but thought of something, "Oh! Speaking of that, are you sure you don't wanna ride with me? I don't know if I feel comfortable with you getting a taxi. The drivers can be complete perverts, y'know."
"Thank you for your concern, Richard but I am a big girl; I am certain that I can handle myself," She laughed. Dick blushed slightly, realising that he had fallen into revealing his concern for her well being. Hopefully, Kori didn't dwell on it too much.
"Besides... We agreed that it would look very conspicuous; not to mention unprofessional, yes?" Kori continued,
"I guess..." Dick mumbled, still a little unhappy that he couldn't take her with him. Dick carefully shifted his eyes towards the mirror so he could examine Kori's in progress handiwork. He smirked,
"You're good at tying the bow tie, y'know..." He complimented,
Kori smiled, almost sadly, "Thank you..." Her eyes became briefly dull as she spoke, "... I used to tie my father's bow ties when I lived with them..."
Dick opened his mouth to apologise but Kori patted his chest, "Finished!" She chirped, smiling proudly. Dick fully turned his body so that he was fully facing the mirror. He grinned as she gently tugged on the sleeves of his blazer.
"Looks awesome, Kor! Thanks." He appreciated, earning a courteous nod from the red head.
Dick sighed as he chanced a look at the clock. He wandered around his room, picking up his ID, invitation, keys and his phone. He softly smiled at Kori and placed both hands on her shoulders, "Alright, Anders. I gotta get going." He informed her, "See you in a while,"
"Of course, Richard; I shall see you again shortly." She beamed. Dick released her shoulders and shrugged on his coat. Winter was not being kind to any of the citizens of Gotham this year. He quickly checked his reflection in the mirror by the front door and nodded to himself. He snapped his fingers and turned back to Kori who was watching him,
"Oh Kor, don't forget to-" He was cut off,
"Lock the front door once I leave; I know," She giggled,
Dick rolled his eyes at her and grinned, "Hurry up and get ready, slacker." He joked,
"You must get going before the gel in your hair evaporates, Richard," Kori countered with a playful smirk,
Dick had to double take to check that it was indeed Kori who had said such a quick remark, "Oh, you win this time, Anders." He chuckled. She waved to him as he finally bid her farewell and left.
Dick had developed a headache almost straight away, from the moment he met up with Bruce an hour ago before the work Christmas party even began. Bruce hadn't even wanted him for a particular reason; he wanted to remind him to stay almost sober, at least throughout the night. Dick had argued and told him that he was no longer a kid to which Bruce replied that he could be a little, "Careless," when he lost his grip on himself at events with alcoholic beverages. Now, here he was, sipping some of his white wine whilst stitching a sour expression against his face. He just wanted to see one person. It was all he needed for his mood to change however; she had yet to make an appearance. The party was well on its way and he wondered if anything had happened to Kori. He was about to whip out his phone but he heard a certain angelic voice from behind him which caused him to smile immediately, "Richard?" She wondered,
Dick expected her to look beautiful, she always did yet he didn't expect to actually lose his breath at the sight of her. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open ever so slightly,
She stood up straight in her delicate midnight coloured heels which showed off her slim ankles and legs. Speaking of her legs, they were on perfect display too. Kori was wearing a strapless dark blue dress which was brought in at the waist. The bottom half flowed to the floor but the front was much shorter than the back, revealing her luscious legs to anyone who looked at her. The dress was textured and was slightly crossed over with material over her chest. Her neck was adorned with a black and silver type of choker. On her delicate wrists, she wore a mix of thin black and silver bangles. Her hair was unlike how she wore it on a usual work day; it was down and had been straightened completely, giving her a very alluring aura. Her makeup was quite natural looking with the exception of a little bit of dark makeup used to bring out the bright colouring within her eyes. She looked absolutely stunning. She was dressed perfectly for a cross between sexy and elegant.
Dick forced himself to meet her eyes as her light giggle sounded aloud again, "Please... I look... Nice?" She asked, rubbing her arm in a self conscious manner. Dick got to his feet and rubbed his neck while a harsh blush began to seep across his pale face,
"Kor you look..." He paused, "You look amazing..."
Kori turned red immediately as he held serious eye contact with her. She didn't mind being complimented by Dick; on the contrary, she welcomed it yet she felt uneasy with the idea of Dick giving her such comments while having a girlfriend. Then again, Kori wasn't about to tell Dick to stop.
"Thank you, Richa- Mr Grayson...?" She hesitated, not sure on what persona to give him considering their surroundings. Dick chewed his lip slightly and slowly tilted his head from side to side in thought. He shrugged, "I don't see why you calling me by my name would be a problem tonight," He assumed. Kori nodded and smiled up at him.
They both suddenly turned at the sound of a glass being tapped to gain attention. Dick rolled his eyes and whispered a groan as he saw Bruce standing at the front of the room with a phony smile against his lips. Dick received a light smack on the arm from Kori, telling him to behave. Dick mentally chuckled to himself. He really enjoyed the fact that they were close enough friends to be able to act that way with one another.
Kori living with him turned out to be one of the best decisions he'd ever made; even if it was temporary. Kori was so sweet and kind and she was so very appreciated by Dick who had begun to love coming home because Kori would usually be there waiting for him. She had started to become a lot more comfortable around the place which made Dick happier, knowing that she was becoming settled. Where their work times differed, Kori would normally leave and would get back to his a couple of hours before him. On most days, he would come home to Kori lying upside down on the sofa with the TV on and being surrounded by takeout menus. She asked the same question each time this happened, "What do you feel in the mood for tonight, Richard?" She'd call. Dick would chuckle and join her on the sofa to decide. That... That he was perhaps loving the most...
A nudge from Kori brought him back to reality. Everyone was clapping and he realised then that he must have spaced out while Bruce was giving his speech. Kori smirked and raised an eyebrow at him. He gave her a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his neck as the clapping ceased and people began making small talk with one another again.
"So... What were you thinking about?" Kori wondered as they took a stroll through the gardens of Wayne Manor. Bruce always held the Christmas party at the manor; he felt it was necessary. Dick never asked why because truthfully, he didn't care.
"Uh... Not a lot... His speeches always bore me." Dick chukled, hoping that would be enough to stem her questions. She giggled and nodded; apparently satisfied.
"Oh!" She breathed, bounding over to a particular rose bush. The roses were crisp and they smelled wonderful; their red colouring was so very eye catching. Roses had always been Kori's favourite flower; ever since she was a little girl.
"Oh... They are so beautiful..." She said, just above a whisper. Dick pushed his hands within his trouser pockets and smiled softly. He wandered over to her and glanced from the roses to her,
"You like the roses?" Dick assumed, smirking,
"They are my favourite flower type..." Kori answered, absentmindedly, "They are beautiful..."
Kori paused and she giggled as she spun around slowly with her arms extended like a little kid, "Actually... This whole property is simply breath taking!" She exclaimed,
Dick shrugged, "It's okay... I guess,"
"Okay?"
"Well, I lived here most of my life; I'm just used to the place I suppose."
Kori nodded as she listened to his words. She beamed up at him suddenly before jumping in front of him with her hands clasped together, "You know, Richard... You should purchase roses to plant on the balcony of your penthouse." She suggested. Dick chuckled and stepped closer to her as the playfulness began to unravel before them,
"Oh really?" He smirked,
"Mhm... It would make the outside look very pretty,"
"And who would look after the plants, Kori?"
"I would!"
"Oh would you?" His voice began lower as he became physically lower so that his face levelled Kori's.
"Of course," Kori mumbled, giggling incoherently.
Their smirks and giggles subsided for a moment as their eyes connected with one another's. The gaze felt intense and their breathing became somewhat shallower. Kori quietly gulped as she noticed Dick flicker his eyes to the direction of her lips.
In a split second, Dick's lips were attached to her own. Her eyes widened in surprise and while she didn't pull away, she did not kiss him back either. The feeling was odd for her. This was what she wanted, it really was but... She never imagined it to happen in such a way.
Kori made a small noise and gently pushed Dick away. The warmth of his lips against hers vanished and she covered her mouth. They both panted and stared at each other with all types of emotions presenting themselves. Kori's eyes were still wide as she focussed on Dick. She wasn't very sure what she should do. She didn't want to yell but she didn't want to make it seem acceptable either.
"I... Th- That was wrong, Richard..." She said, quietly. In her heart, she knew it was wrong. He had ties which didn't allow him to do what he just did. Dick gulped and attempted to take her hand which she immediately retracted,
"Please... Kor, I-" He was cut off suddenly as a large man with white hair slapped a hand down on his shoulder,
"Dick, my boy!" He hollered,
"Mr Boveret... How great to see you," Dick lied; really, he just wanted to speak to Kori about the kiss. He felt like it was partly impulse but... he did want to do it...
"I need to talk numbers with you, lad." Mr Boveret explained, before eyeing Kori and giving her a friendly smile, "You don't mind if I take him off your hands for a little bit, do you beautiful?"
Kori faked a smiled, "No, of course not. Take him for as long as you need to..." She replied, slightly bowing. The elder gentleman and Dick began to walk up the small concrete steps. Dick threw glances back at Kori countless times as he moved. He desperately wanted to talk to Kori and explain his feelings to her.
Dick sighed and continued the journey back into the manor with Mr Boveret. There, he took a seat at one of the neatly decorated tables and noticed Bruce sitting opposite him. He also scanned the table and recognised 3 other men who he learned were business associates. Quentin Boveret clapped his hands together and fixed a wide grin across his face, "Alright gentlemen," He started, "Let's talk business."
Dick stayed pretty quiet throughout the discussion. All they talked about was budgeting and deals which bored him to no end. All he could think about was Kori. He felt terrible about kissing her. He truly wanted to do it. He didn't regret it at all but he did feel guilty for springing it on Kori with no hint of explanation; he wasn't even that drunk so he could hardly use that as an excuse either. He sighed. He was pretty sure that Kori was pissed off and upset with him; he just wanted to get out of the place so that he could find her and apologise.
After all of the business associates, including Mr Boveret, had disbanded from the table, he had aimed to get away immediately but a certain male stopped him.
Bruce placed a heavy hand against Dick's shoulder, "Dick." He mumbled, "Is everything alright? You hardly spoke back there."
"I'm fine. That was just... Really random and unexpected. You should have told me they wanted to discuss things tonight."
"I didn't think it'd be a big deal for you to simply talk about the company?"
"It's not... I'm just... I have a headache."
"Mm... Go and get some water; maybe take a walk outside."
Dick nodded and glided past his adopted father. Dick checked every single room which took him a large chunk of time considering the size of the manor. He tried calling Kori 8 times but she didn't pick up once, nor did she reply to the 3 texts he sent her.
He leaned his back against the wall in the hallway of the second floor. He closed his eyes and rolled his head back so it was too, against the wall. His breathing was deep and deafening, to him at least. Suddenly, he heard whistling from someone who was apparently walking down the corridor. He slowly opened his eyes to look at the mystery person. At first, his head spun and he was temporarily blinded; okay, maybe he was a little drunk after all.
His eyes fell upon Alfred who appeared briskly beside him a moment later. He cleared his throat before straightening his posture, "Master Dick, are you quite alright?" He asked,
"Huh? Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine Al..." He paused as a thought lingered in his mind, "Uh... Alfred?"
"Yes, Master Dick?"
"Have you seen a woman tonight?"
"I do not know if you are aware but there are many females in the manor tonight..."
"You're funnier than you let on..." Dick mocked, "Anyway. She had long red hair and green eyes. Really tanned and looked about 18?"
"Are you referring to Miss Kori, Master Dick?"
Dick raised an eyebrow, "How do you know her?"
"Who do you think helped Master Bruce find a suitable work colleague for you?"
Dick chuckled, "Have you seen her?"
"Yes, I have actually. I believe she left the party approximately 40 minutes ago."
"She left?" Dick queried, "Did she say anything when she left?"
"Nothing that I can recall, sir."
Dick was silent for a moment, "Thanks. I'll catch you later."
"Are you leaving, master Dick?"
"Yeah, I-"
Alfred made an expression and Dick knew a smirk was tugging at his lips, "Are you going to find Miss Kori?"
"I have to talk to her about something... important."
Alfred nodded and simply let it go there. They bid each other goodbye and Dick left without another word to anyone. He groaned aloud as he realised that he had to abandon his car due to drinking over the limit. With quick thought, he lightly jogged through the gates of the manor and continued down the street.
Once Dick had approached a busier area, he whistled for a taxi. Two stopped for him and he inwardly smirked; he loved being known across Gotham sometimes. He slid into the backseat of the first taxi that had stopped and he directed him towards his apartment. The driver had a distinct Spanish type of accent attached to his speech. Although, he could have been wrong; he wasn't listening to a single thing the guy said.
As soon as the taxi pulled up, Dick handed him $200. The driver looked like he was about ready to kiss him. Dick nodded his thanks and got out of the car. He wasn't necessarily in a rush to get up to his place, more so that he wanted to know if Kori had gone back to his or not. He had a pretty good idea that if she hadn't gone back to his, she would be crashing at a friends' or a hotel.
He bit his lip as the elevator seemed to take a lot longer than usual. The apparently soothing music that bounced off the walls of the elevator was beginning to irritate him. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing in an attempt to calm himself.
His eyes and the doors opened simultaneously. He sprinted down the hallways and eventually came up against the doors to his penthouse. He fumbled with his keys but gradually managed to open the doors.
His pace completely changed. As he wandered inside, he was slow and quiet. The whole place was dark with the exception of a lamp lighting one half of the main room. He scanned the kitchen, main room and the bathroom. He wondered if she really had gone to spend the night somewhere else. His eyes widened as a horrid thought came into his mind; what if she had gone home with one of the men who had been at the party?
Dick gulped as he tried not to think about that idea. Suddenly, he heard a soft noise and shifting. He glanced up at the spare room. He knew that sounded like Kori but he needed to be sure. Dick climbed the steps up to the spare room and gently opened the door. He tried to be as silent as he possibly could; he didn't know what he was going to find.
He exhaled and smiled softly. Kori was fast asleep in her bed with no one else in sight and he could see that she was wearing her usual nightwear. His expression soon turned sad however; she was still going to be angry with him whenever he was able to talk to her. He didn't want her to be mad. He wanted her to feel good about what happened... He wanted her to have feelings for him also...
Dick closed her door and made his way over to his own room. He changed out of the classy attire and dressed himself in lounge pants; he didn't feel like wearing any type of shirt tonight. With a heavy sigh, he decided he'd catch Kori in the morning and try and chat with her. He laid his head down on the pillow and allowed himself to drift off into a deep slumber.
Dick completed the task of doing his tie the next morning and he finished up his breakfast. was very angry./I He had wanted to catch her before she left for work but she had left much earlier than Dick expected her too. He knew that she was clearly trying to avoid him and he hated it. He hated the feeling of knowing he had made her uncomfortable by what he did.
He picked up his keys and his wallet and he left the building. He took the longer route to work. He needed time to think about what he did and how to explain things to Kori.
When he arrived at work, his face held barely any expression. He was hesitant and he thought Kori might slap him if they cross each others' paths during the day. He was wrong.
Kori wasn't at her desk when he first came up and his curiosity showed as he tapped a pen repeatedly against his desk, wondering why she wasn't there and why she hadn't come into him yet; she always came in to get the folders.
Suddenly, Kori strolled through his office doors and he kept his eyes on her the entire time. She wouldn't meet his gaze and that hurt Dick. She stared at the folders as she spoke, "Good morning, Mr Grayson. Please. I should take the folders." Her voice held a sharpness to it beneath her politeness.
Dick was at a loss for words and his mouth hung open slightly. He made a weird type of noise before clearing his throat, "Sure. H-Here..." He stuttered, handing her the folders from under his desk. Kori nodded and took them from him before strutting right back out again.
He sighed and let his head fall into his hands. It was going to be a long day.
The darkness of the evening began to seep in at every opening within the sky. Dick watched the elemental changes through the glass of his office. It was getting quite late and he knew he should have gone home a long time ago and yet, here he was. He didn't have any work to do nor did he have to write up anything important for Bruce. He was simply... Thinking. A lot.
He never meant to endanger the comfortable relationship he had with Kori. He would never want that. He just... Followed his heart. Was that truly so wrong?
All of a sudden, the doors opened and Kori shuffled in, carrying a big stack of folders in her slim arms. Dick sat up and smiled briefly. It disappeared when he noticed that she still wouldn't look him in the eyes. She swiftly walked over and slammed the folders down on the desk. She seemed a lot more dishevelled than earlier on.
As she straightened herself up, she blew some stray hair out of her face, "Mr Grayson. These folders have been rearranged and completed as asked for." She informed him,
"Thank you, Kori." Dick replied. Without a word, Kori turned on her heel and took a step away from him. Without hesitation, Dick got to his feet and caught her wrist,
"Kor... Please... Look, I'm so sorry about what I did..." He pleaded. Dick didn't think she was going to reply at first. She kept her eyes focussed on the ground and made no real movements. She sighed.
"...The kiss... did not bother me. I- I rather enjoyed it... however... It is the fact that you did that whilst you are still in the relationship with Barbra." She admitted, finally allowing herself to glance at him with a soft expression. Dick pulled her a little closer so that the desk wasn't separating them. There was still a distance between them so that Dick didn't push the delicately set boundaries.
"I know, Kori... And I really am sorry but... I can't help myself anymore. I literally can't resist you. It's just... You're so beautiful and sweet and bubbly... You're amazing and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you."
Kori was blushing; that was obvious even in the dim light. She gave into a timid smile, "I... I did not realise that... you felt so strongly about me..." She whispered,
"Well... I do..." Dick continued, rubbing his neck and feeling his face heat up, "I really do, Kor."
Kori's smile only widened as she took a step closer to him, "Just so you are aware, I feel the exact same way as you do..."
Dick smirked, "Good... I don't know if I could handle it if you were into Gary from human resources..."
Kori giggled and their eyes bonded with the intensity between them. Dick brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and let his hand linger against her cheek. Kori tilted her head and leaned up onto her toes. She made quick work of searing her lips to his. Dick was taken aback at first but soon his hands found her waist and he pulled her close. She allowed him to explore her mouth with his tongue and roam her back with his hands.
When they parted, Dick was smirking but he had an eyebrow raised, "I thought you-" Kori cut him off,
"I do not like it... But I also do not like having to do the resisting of you either, Richard..." Kori hushed, stroking his face as she peered into his crystal coloured orbs. Dick smirked and exhaled a sigh of content. He knew in his heart that this was completely right. Dick's teeth clashed with Kori's as their frenzy for mouth dominance began. Dick slipped away from her lips and kissed along her jaw line while his hands continued their expedition of her body. His cold fingertips edged beneath her light shirt. She gasped at the sudden contact and placed her hands over his. She smirked, "We should go home, Richard..." She hinted,
Dick nodded almost absentmindedly and they quickly made their way down to the car park...
