AN: well here it is, the anticipated chapter that includes Kori at the dance and Richard's public humilation of Komi. ill be quiet now so you can get to reading.
Disclaimer: i own nothing but the plot and all writing.
ON WITH THE STORY!!!!
Chapter Ten
About 30 minutes later, Kori's house
So the costume Richard had 'taken care of already' was a wedding dress designed and made by his mother. I was hesitant to wear it, but his mother assured me she didn't mind; the person who had ordered it ended up not needing it, so it had nothing better to do than be my costume for the dance.
It was so beautiful, pure white, strapless, beading on the bodice and an A-line skirt made of toile, all in all it was a princess's wedding dress, well a modern day princess's wedding dress. It was so poofy I was afraid I wouldn't be able to walk decently, let alone sit down, but the beauty entranced me and I couldn't say no.
I slowly put it on, lavishing in the way it seemed to be made for me, I defiantly need to keep this for my wedding day, or have Richard's mother make my wedding dress, one or the other.
I heard Richard pacing outside my room and giggled. I waited on him for years; he could wait on me for a few minutes.
I stood in front of my vanity, or rather my mirror in the bathroom, and studied my face. I needed something to make it pop, it was a special occasion, I could get dolled up just once. I grabbed my gray eyeliner and slowly put it on, making sure I didn't goof it up. I added a shimmery light silver eyeshadow on my lids, followed by a darker shade in the crease and the corners and an even lighter shade than the first above my lid and under my lower lash line. I coated my top lashes in black mascara and considered my eyes finished.
I smeared some light shimmery lip gloss on lips and decided I needed nothing else on my face, my eyes popped and I was impressed enough with them I decided the rest of my face didn't really need anything.
Next project, my hair. I ran my fingers through it, trying to get all the rats out while my curling iron heated. Once my curling iron was to the prime curling temperature I curled parts of my hair, taming the natural curl already present.
After putting on my strapy silver heals, I walked to the full length mirror my mother had gotten me one year for my birthday and made a final turn. I considered myself done, grabbed the white long gloves I had shacked from Komi, slipped them on and made my way to the door.
"Kori are you done yet?" Richard asked impatiently as I opened the door.
"Nope, that's why I'm standing here, seemingly dressed to impress." I replied sarcastically.
Richard stopped mid-pace and stared at me, eyes wide, jaw agape. I gave him a confused look and blushed slightly. He snapped out of it quickly and replied, giving me an awfully hott smirk, "I think you've been hanging with Rachel too much." I gave him an evil look and it made him smirk larger. "Oh, by the way you look more beautiful than moon in the sky." Richard complimented awkwardly.
"Thanks, even if that did sound goofy, you always seemed to remember I love the moon." I replied, blushing. "Um, we're going to be later than late if we don't leave."
"Oh, yeah. Here," he instructed holding up an elegant white laced mask, "I don't want your face hidden, but it's kinda mandatory, well for females anyway."
I took the mask from him, smiling at his thoughtfulness, considering I had forgotten the whole mask thing, and hurried back to my bathroom. I slipped the mask on my face, getting it in place before fixing my hair around it. I decided pinning my ever growing bangs back and leaving the shorter ones to frame my face would look best, plus I needed the most optimum visibility if I wanted to be able to navigate through throngs of high school kids, and my hair being in my face would only hinder me.
I ran, well if you could call it that, back to Richard's side and grabbed his hand, trying to not blush at the close contact and the tingling of his skin on mine, and rushed downstairs, him in tow. "Bye Mother, Father, I'm going to the dance, be back soon." I yelled at the bottom of the stairs. "Come on before they decide they want pictures." I ordered Richard as I made a bee-line for the door.
We got through the door and to his car without hearing anything from my parents, other than 'bye, have a good time', and I hopped in, Richard holding open the door, like a true 'Prince Charming'.
"Now that's the Kori I know, the Kori that can't wait to get into this car." Richard smiled my gorgeous lop-sided smile, after he got in the driver's side.
"Now for more than one reason." I said leaning over and giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek. And can you believe it, Richard blushed. Richard Grayson, all star athlete, one the most popular guys in school blushed like a school boy. I giggled and it brought him back to reality. He smiled at my shyly and started that ever sweet sounding V-10 engine. He put the car in drive and sped from the curb outside my house, toward the school.
We arrived at the school parking lot at around 10:45 and I was starting to get really nervous, everyone would be there, everyone normally got there in between 7 and 9:30, so mine and Richard's entrance would be huge. Everyone would look up and wonder who was trying to make a dramatic entrance this year, and I just hoped my 'dramatic entrance' didn't include me falling down the stairs. Richard assured me I wouldn't do anything to embarrass myself and walked into the school gym, making a smooth almost not seen entrance. I only hoped mine would be that easy.
Richard's pov
When I got to about the middle of the grand staircase I noticed everyone looking up at me, well past me. I stopped in my tracks, hoping Kori was ok, and looked back. She was more than ok, she was radiating. The lights at the top of the grand staircase were too high for anyone to reach and cover with the dark shades of paper Kori had chosen, so they kinda illuminated the staircase in this white/yellow light. This light mixed with what Kori was wearing, both on her body and her face, made her...glow. I admired Kori as I saw her take a deep breath and make her way gracefully down the staircase.
I decided when she made it to me that she'd had her glorious single entrance, and I held out my arm to her as she approached me, content on being her escort down the remaining stairs. She eagerly took my arm and I smiled reassuringly at her, giving her a small wink. She smiled back, eyes lighting up and making her look even more beautiful, if that was even possible.
We made it to the bottom of the staircase and I led her to the table that consisted of Rachel, Gar, Vic, Karen, Wally and Jinx, and I couldn't help but hear the exclamations of several surrounding people, people who couldn't believe it was Kori attached to my arm.
Kori's pov
I felt so exposed standing at the top of the grand staircase, in that strapless dress that I almost ran back outside. Richard had run off and left me, he was in the middle of the staircase, and I was considering hurting him for leaving me hanging like that.
Then I noticed everyone's eyes on me. I looked back Richard's way and saw him stop and turn toward me, assurance that he was only a few feet away if I needed him written in his clear eyes. I took a deep breath and made my way down the staircase as gracefully as possible. Once I made it close to Richard, his arm became offered to me, and once I was standing next to him I took it eagerly. He gave me reassuring smile and a small wink and I couldn't help but smile.
He escorted me down the rest of the way then led me to a back table, holding what looked like Rachel, Gar, Vic, Karen, Wally, and Jinx, all giving me shocked but compliant looks. And I couldn't help but hear whispered exclamations from people as we made our way, people who didn't think I was really Kori, how could it be me?
"Can you really not tell it's me?" I asked the table of people in front of me once Richard and I got within talking distance.
"Reality check." Rachel spoke for the table, "Incase you seemed to have forgotten, nobody's seen you in make up, with your hair done or in anything other than paint splattered or loose clothing. And you happen to be wearing a mask that covers half your face. So unless they can clearly see you close up like us, then no, you don't look like the Kori everyone knows. Not that that's a bad thing, actually if I say so myself you look quite elegant, even if you're wearing white." Rachel ended bluntly.
I gave her a mixed look, a combination of self-defense and gratitude, but before I could say anything Komi came sliding up beside Richard.
"Richie...dear." she said hurriedly, "where did you go? I was so worried, and why are you hanging with these losers? Why is Kori here, she has no date, Richard, you know full and well..."
"Shove it." Richard said harshly and Komi shut her mouth. "I went to your house to pick up your sister, these 'losers' are my best friends, Kori's here cause I want her to be and she's my date. Does that answer all your questions?" Richard ended, pretty much spitting the last question from his mouth.
"But Richie..." Komi began again, trying to keep her cool.
"Save it for someone who cares...oh wait, no one really cares about what you say. You're just a spoiled little brat, no wait that's too much of a compliment; you're just a rotting fungus growing on a dead tree." Richard hissed. "Komi, you and I are over. You're nothing but an evil shallow girl who's used to getting what she wants and throws a fit not even a two year old would throw when she doesn't get her way. Hmm, you haven't quite made it to shallow yet, you're like a pin sized drop of sewer water. And you're nothing like the word 'perfect', you're really the exact opposite and I can't believe I fell for your disillusionment. Now leave us alone before I'm forced to throw you from the dance." Richard ended. Everyone sitting at our table, actually everyone in the gym set in shocked silence. Well, except for Rachel, she seemed to know what exactly would be said and was sitting with an agreeing smug look on her face, smirk hiding in the corners of her mouth.
"Richie, you're just delusional. Kori has you under some loser induced spell." Komi practically begged, trying to save her and Richard's relationship.
"No I am not. We are over." Richard said with such convincing he could have been telling her she had black hair and purple eyes. She turned toward me and gave me the most evilest look I had ever seen her muster. It didn't seem that she was mad at Richard or that her pride was hurt at his words, it seemed like she was angrier at me than anyone or anything else in that gym.
I keep my eyes steady with hers, refusing to look down, my glare intensifying until she huffed and turned, flipping her hair behind her head and storming off toward the table were Terra set.
There was light cheering around us, mostly from our own table, and shouts of 'go Rich!' and 'go Kori!'. I gave Richard the most thankful look I could and smiled.
"Thanks for doing that." I whispered, wanting our conversation to stay private.
"No problem." Richard started, whispering, getting my hint. "I love you Kori, and I'd do anything for you, especially publicly humiliate your sister, that is the best perk of loving you." he smiled lop-sided.
"Uh." I gasped, punching him on the arm.
"Owww." he complained.
"Well, don't say stuff like that and I won't punch you."
"I was joking, humiliating Komi isn't the best perk of loving you, loving you is the best perk of loving you." Richard said seriously, a loving look in his cobalt eyes.
"Follow me." I smiled, getting an idea in my head.
"Um, ok."
I took him by the hand, lacing my fingers through his, and led him to the back of the gym and out the door onto the small concrete courtyard behind the gym.
After he came through the door I closed it, and embraced him in a long awaited hug. He hugged back with intensity and I buried my face into his sweet smelling muscular chest.
"Kori, I love you." Richard stated softly, kissing the top of my head. "I know I keep saying it, but I really do."
"I love you too, Richard." I softly replied, moving away from his chest to look at his face.
His eyes caught mine and I was lost, I could feel myself falling into his deep azure eyes. It almost made me nervous, giving into myself so easily and I blushed, pulling my eyes away from his. I tried to focus on something else and my eyes drifted downward. Bad idea, my eyes landed on his lips, his perfect lips, so soft, so well chiseled, still lightly chapped.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realized Richard leaning in until his breath was on my face, sweet and warm. I looked into his eyes again and gave him a mental 'I'm ready' and we got ever closer. His lips were on mine shortly after my eyes involuntary closed, and I was in heaven, well a version of bliss. His lips were exactly as I had envisioned them to be, better than. They softly moved against mine and emotion took over. My lips moved in sweet dance with his, my hands finding their way to his soft messy hair, his finding the back of my neck and head.
We kissed for what seemed like a millennium but was in all reality on a few seconds. We broke apart and I laid my forehead against his, as a sound made it's way to my ears. It was raining. I pulled slightly back from Richard and looked out from under the awning.
"Rain." Richard complained.
"Yeah, isn't it perfect." I stated.
"No, not really. Rain always ruins stuff for me."
"I love it. It's never ruined anything for me. You just have to feel it." I explained. "Come." I commanded, taking him again by the hand and leading him out into the downpour.
"Um, Kori, aren't you gonna like ruin your hair and makeup or something?" Richard asked confused.
"If I do, who cares. The rain is more important than how I look. And don't worry I'll have you're mother's dress professionally dry-cleaned." I replied smiling, eyes closed, face up to the sky.
"I guess that's why I love you; you're nothing like any other girl I've ever met." Richard laughed.
I looked down at his face, hair flattening against his head, dripping into his face. He'd never looked any hotter than right now, standing in front of me in the rain. "Let me show you why I like the rain." I whispered before capturing his lips with mine.
I kissed him with as much passion as the feeling of the rain on my skin gave me. What happened next was glorious; it felt like Richard melted into me and I into him, the rain connecting us somehow. Every thought I had had about him the past months came to my mind and all the emotions triggered went into our kiss.
I could feel all his apologies, all his passion at finally having figured out I was his, and had always been his. He could feel all my anger, my sorrow, my passion that I had felt before I knew he was mine and had always been.
We broke apart, out of breath and slightly panting. I hugged him hard, burying my head in his chest.
"Wow, Kori." I heard him voice, his chest vibrating. "What I just felt was amazing, no wonder you like the rain. It seems to release all your emotions."
"Yeah," I replied, head sill on his chest. "The rain's always done that. Actually almost all water does that. I express myself better when water's around. Going to the ocean is like an emotional lift for me."
"I understand." Richard stated, kissing the top of my head.
"Fire does it too, sometimes. Maybe one day I'll show you." I replied.
"I'd like that." Richard whispered as he began to rock me back in forth to the faint sound of the music coming from inside the gym.
I had opened parts of my soul for him, and I smiled contently as he rocked me, knowing he would take what I shared and handle it with utmost care.
AN: aww how sweet. please tell me how i did, considering most of this was writen past the hour of one in the morning. Review!! there will be two more chapters i believe. i'm now going to bed...it's 2:36 am and i have to work tomorrow.. of course i don't go in till one, but i have to work seven hours, standing...review!!!