Welcome back to my story and thank you for reading me. I apologize in advance it's a short chapter, but it's the one people have been waiting for!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

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You've Got Mail

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Chapter 10

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"Hi Anissa," Dick said with a friendly smile to Kori's student from her floor who was manning the desk that night.

"Oh, sneaking in after your softball game to check and see how Kori's doing I see. Didn't even bother to change... well, you do look nice in stripes. Could your butt look any better?"

Dick chuckled. "Does your girlfriend know you talk to other people like that?"

Anissa leaned forward and purred, "No, it'll be our little secret."

Dick's eyes widened. That's all he needed. Anissa smacked him on the shoulder. "I'm just playing with you, Dick! Anyway, Kori knows you're not my type, and I know you can't see past her. It wouldn't surprise me if your in love with her already." She paused and watched Dick blush slightly, "I knew it! You two were made for each other! Anyway, I haven't seen or heard from her all night. I think her door's open though."

"Great, but it's a surprise, so don't let her know I'm coming, okay?"

"You're secret's safe with me," Anissa said with a wink, "but don't distract her too much."

"I'll try not to."

Now that was an interesting conversation. But Anissa is right... I probably do love Kori, or at least I'm getting there. I have to fix this.

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Richard stopped in the lounge near Kori and Donna's door. As usual, the door was open. He didn't know what to do. Should he just knock and go in? What if there was already a student there? What if she just threw him out without letting him talk?

He sat down to gather his thoughts and his courage. Dick didn't notice right away but then saw Static as he walked up to him and Richard saw his chance. It was a gamble, but he needed help. What happened with Harley wasn't his fault, and he might as well get some extra help to fix it.

Richard stood up and met Static halfway. "Hey man, I need a favor."

"Sure, anything Dick, the way you've helped me..."

Dick ushered him toward the other end of the lounge, an extra assurance that Kori couldn't hear. "Static, there's been a bit of a misunderstanding between Kori and me tonight. While I was away from my phone when I was out after the softball game, one of my so-called friends answered my phone and told Kori I was flirting with some women at the bar. I was actually talking with a family friend and she had just introduced me to her friends.

"Kori won't answer her phone since then. I need to talk to her. I know how this guy Franklin hurt her-"

"You have no idea-"

"Actually, I do have some idea, Static, and it's come up already. Long story but we were on a bit of shaky ground before this and now this little stunt by Harley might have blown my relationship with Kori."

"Oh, no way! Man, I'm sorry. How can I help?" Static asked.

"I hate to put you in the middle, but can you knock on the door and make sure I get in to talk to her at least? She has to hear me out."

Static thought for a moment. He knew Kori hated to be pressured, but he also knew that she could be very stubborn and he knew that Richard was a great guy and very sincere about her and about their relationship.

"Okay, let's roll."

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Kori was doing her best not to cry. How was all this even possible? Yes, it was a misunderstanding over groceries and she had overreacted and pushed him away. She decided that they should only be friends, that she couldn't handle a relationship.

He hadn't pushed her about the being just friends, which she hoped he had done because he knew that she wouldn't want that, rather than that Richard had agreed with the change. And now that she decided she did want more, that she really wanted to go back to how things were, it was too late. Again, maybe that's why he didn't push, that he was waiting for a way out all along.

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Kori felt an obligation to leave her door open for her students but stayed in her bedroom rather than in her living room. That way, as she could continue her on and off crying, and if a student came in, she could take a minute to splash water on her face or at dab her tears away before greeting them. She hadn't had anyone come by, however, and it was getting late.

She considered pulling the door shut but thought she'd give it another hour or so. It wasn't like she'd get any sleep anyway.

How did that silly old song Mom used to sing go? "I have tears in my ears from lying on my back in my bed as I cry over you." For some odd reason that thought made her smile. For some strange reason she even felt hopeful.

And then there was a knock on her door.

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"Just one moment, please," Kori called out. She sprinted to the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water and toweled it dry. "Who is it please?"

"It's Static, Kori"

She was relieved. Oh, at least a friendly face. "Oh, I will be right there. Come in and sit down."

"Should I close the door? It's kinda personal."

"Of course you may," Kori called out to him.

Kori took a moment to run a brush through her hair and blot her face again. She really didn't want to have to explain her crying to anyone, not even a close friend like Static.

In the meantime, Static and Richard came into the apartment, closing the door behind them and then went inside and sat down on the futon.

"Here I come, sorry for the delay-" Kori walked into the living area and Richard and Static stood up, both with sheepish looks on the faces, and Kori stopped dead in her tracks. "Richard," Kori breathed.

"Hello, Kori." Their eyes locked.

"I'll leave you two alone. Neither of you leave this room until you straighten this out," Static said emphatically and neither acknowledged what he said or that he left.

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They stared at each other and Kori began to tremble. Richard approached her and she flinched when he touched her, but he didn't react to it. He simply held onto her gently but firmly escorted her to the futon and sat next to her, careful to be close to her but not allowing their bodies to touch.

Richard kept his eyes on Kori's, holding her gaze. He gave her a warm smile and waited to talk until the corners of her mouth began to turn up just a bit.

"Kori, first off, about tonight, I'm not sure exactly what Harley said to you, but Roy - one of my so-called friends - had her answer my phone. It just so happens she's also my assistant
at work." He lost the urge not to touch her and cupped her chin, "I wasn't flirting at all. I ran into a friend, Chase Meridian. Well, to be honest," he paused and her heart sank for a moment, "she's my therapist." She was relieved and he chuckled, "Yeah, I have a shrink."

"I see. So you were not doing the flirting? You did not ask out anyone?"

"No Kori. I don't want to flirt with anyone right now. Well, that's not true, there is one woman."

He paused but she said nothing else, her face was unreadable. Kori wanted to say how she felt, but hadn't expected his visit or the opportunity to talk about dating again. It was overwhelming and she was processing everything.

Richard on the otherhand was feeling like this might be his only chance to tell her how he felt, that at any time his friends or fate might intervene.

"Kori, I need to tell you some things and I really want you to hear me out." Kori's mind flashed back to when he told her about the bet with Wally, not the highlight of their brief relationship.

"Very well," she replied in a cautious and unhappy tone.

He pushed her bangs back and she flinched again. Wow, has someone done a number on her...

"I'm sorry, Kori, but if you hear everything, I think you'll get a different picture of what you think happened earlier this evening and that you'll like what I have to say. At least I hope so."

She managed a small smile. and he dropped his hand down to hers and squeezed it before letting it go.

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Richard took a deep breath. "Let's go back to the very beginning. Yes, I went on to AOL because of the bet with Wally but when I read your profile I was intrigued and when I first talked with you I knew we could be friends. After our second or third conversation, well, I was already pretty much of a goner."

Kori gave a smile that showed a small trace of one of her 1000 kilowatt smiles and for the first time in a few days of the entire debacle, Richard had some hope.

"And then I met you, and you were, well, gorgeous and just my type." He had anticipated this wouldn't please her so before she could even show it on her face he added, "and then we talked and you were so intelligent and kind and well, wonderful and again, well, you had me.

"You had such a great sense of humor and were so playful and I can't remember a time when I've been happier just to be with someone. And, oh Lord, then we kissed..."

Richards eyes darkened with desire and Kori was not put off, her eyes flicking down to his lips and back to his eyes, her mind pondering the option of just skipping over the discussion part of the program and moving onto the main event as it were...

"Kori?"

She shook herself back to reality. "Sorry?"

Richard chuckled. "Things were going really well. I certainly was falling for you. No, let me rephrase that, I had fallen for you completely. And that hasn't stopped. I know I didn't handle things well the night we went to Chantilly-"

"You didn't?"

"Well, I was pretty jealous of how other men were drooling over you."

"I had not done the noticing of your jealousy, Richard."

"I'm glad, Kori. It's not the most attractive side of me." He stopped to take her hand. She didn't flinch his time and gave him a shy smile.

"And, whatever happened on Saturday, well, I'm very sorry I upset you Kori. And although if being friends is all you are up for, I'll accept that."

Kori was stunned. Was that it? She wanted to scream 'no!'. Here was the moment she could say she wanted more, wanted to date Richard again, that she wanted things to go back to the way they had been, and she was just, well, stuck. She was afraid he'd really reject her and that she'd lose her chance with him forever. At least now there was a glimmer of hope...

As Kori pondered whether or not to tell Richard what she really wanted out of their relationship, Richard made him decision: tell her he wanted them to be back together, to press her if necessary or just leave it up in the air, leaving it with what he'd already said...

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Richard couldn't get any idea from Kori's expression at that point but in early parts of the conversation she had seemed fairly receptive and certainly attracted to him. He wanted, no, needed to know where they stood.

"Kori," he took her hands in his, "I'd love to be your best friend," he watched her shoulders slump and knew he was onto something and that spurred him on, "but to be honest Kori, I need more. I want to be your boyfriend again. Actually I need to be. I care for you so much, and we mesh so well and I am positive we have such a wonderful future together. I'll take things as slow as you need to, but I need you in my life, and I need you in that way, in a romantic way."

Again his eyes showed his desire and it was his turn to let his eyes flick down to Kori's lips and to her eyes. She tilted her head up in clear invitation and he captured her lips.

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To be continued...