Disclaimer: I don't own TT.
Hey Guys! I know I say this every chapter, but you guys are amazing. Thanks for your wonderful reviews, they really do mean the world. Ok, looking for at least 290 reviews. OMG guys, we're so close to 300 and that's so exciting. Alrighty, the story.
PS: Hope this made things right ;-)
Don't forget who we are with.
Richard, Kori and... Xavier.
Xavier just revealed Kori's secret.
How will Richard react?
Kori's ashamed and fearful, we know that much.
Enjoy the chapter.
Plenty of reactions coursed through Richard in less than a heartbeat. He was mad—no beyond mad—at her hiding the fact that she was an alien. Sure, it would probably freak out a lot of people, but she didn't even tell him her most important secret? Then a little reasoning voice came out and snapped that she might have thought that she would lose him—but she couldn't have given him the chance instead of keeping him in the dark? And why did he have to hear this from the man who broke her heart in the first place? And why did the supposed man who broke her heart in the first place know more about Kori than he did? Fine; so maybe she thought he'd take it badly and shun her out of his life, but wasn't it his right to decide whether he would go to that extreme or not? And how had she managed to keep this from him? Why would she do that to him? And how could she do that to him? Though on the inside Richard was in turmoil, on the outside he retained a resigned look. It was either that or attempted murder. And who he would murder was a very good question indeed.
Kori watched Richard's every move, fearful of what the outcome would be. She ignored Xavier—ignored his smirk at her whole situation and his glee as well. She focused only on the man she loved. Yeah, she hadn't necessarily told him the whole truth, but she had been afraid! And this was the worst possible way of him finding out the truth. Shame overcame her, overwhelming all her senses, except for when she berated herself for her idiocy. No one in their right mind would accept her if she told them she was an alien and she hadn't even told him. It was all Xavier's fault. He broke her heart and now was on the verge of breaking it again. Though, this time she felt like breaking his neck in two.
Xavier watched the two smugly. Richard, though seemingly resigned, was clearly showing signs of anger. Perfect. And Kori, his dear Korina (a nickname he had bestowed upon her, which she used to love and now loathed) was bright red with shame. First time the woman showed some proper humility. And emotion. He had found out after he left that he had broken her and turned her into a bitter young woman, but man, she had almost killed him. That wasn't something to let go of lightly. So he broke up with her and left. Left Kori and her sister Kami. Kami was, or used to be, a nice cruel little bitch. It had been fun going out with her behind her sister's back. He hadn't felt any shame at all. They were both hott, though Kori was more innocent and Kami was more vicious. And Kori seemed so broken, yet had fallen dependent on him like some broken puppy that needed a home or it wouldn't survive. All Kami had wanted was her sister to feel miserable. It wasn't that hard. Kami had given him permission to go out with her sister as long as he went out with her as well. Fine, no problem. Or it wasn't until Kori showed her freak alien powers. She had frightened seven lives off of Xavier when that green bolt flew from her hand. And it was so close to him he wasn't flipped. So why did he come back? It was obvious. He wanted his little broken puppy back. Well, he had heard that she had been broken, but she clearly wasn't. She had a flipping strong will and a boyfriend to boot. He wanted her back because she was hott and innocent. Well, maybe not innocent, but dependent. So, as he said, if he couldn't have her, no one could. Proving she was an alien to that rich prep kid was the easiest way to go. No one, and repeat, no one accepted an alien.
"You're an alien?" Richard repeated with no emotion. He still was angry.
Kori somehow managed to find courage. Though she had no idea how. Or where it came from. "I am, but I was going to tell you! I really was! I was going to tell you, but then he came along—" She said he with such venom it sounded like a curse. "I wanted you to know everything about me! But I was scared and—"
"Scared?" Richard asked dangerously. "Why were you scared? Where you scared I wouldn't accept you?" He began to sound like he was sneering. "Or was it that you were an alien and couldn't live with the fact?" That stung and went deep. "And when were you planning on telling me? In five days? Five years? Or five decades? Or was it when you decided you were sick of planet earth and wanted to fly off—back to your precious Tameran?" Anger gripped Richard firmly. It hurt to see that he was hurting Kori—she was literally wilting beneath his gaze—but it hurt more that she hadn't told him at all. Did she expect that even though she had a tough past, she could hide all of it? It wasn't like she was the only one with a tough past! His parent's had died too. Didn't that count for something? Did everything revolve around her?
"I…" Kori broke off the gaze and looked at her feet, hurt. She was hurt, but wasn't this bound to happen? Hadn't she predicted that if she told him, he'd push her away? And he was right. She hadn't been planning on telling him any time soon. She had been too fearful. Looks like she was right to be fearful. "You're right," Kori said softly, tears threatening to leak from her eyes. "You're right. I wasn't going to tell you anytime soon. I was afraid. You're right and I am horribly wrong. Well, almost horribly. I expected something like this would happen. You finding out and…" Her voice trailed off, unable to utter another word because her throat had closed off. It closed off because of all that emotion she was stuffing.
"You expected I would do something like leave you?" Richard asked, anger flaring. And then it was gone, followed by hurt. "Do you really have no faith in me? Did you think that telling me you were from another planet would cause me to hate you or fear you? Do you know me at all?"
As much as Kori struggled to keep the tears at bay, they ended up escaping her will and burning down her tanned cheeks. "I had wanted to. I thought I knew you. But people can be deceived. They can have agendas of their own and surprise people with the unexpected. I love you, but I fear you. I fear for you. I didn't want you to feel like you needed to protect me further and I didn't want you to know. No matter what my heart told me, my head kept saying that you wouldn't accept me. That you'd shun me. So who was I supposed to listen to? My head, which speaks very clearly? Or my heart, which doesn't even have the capability to learn to speak?" She took a broken breath then continued in a wavering voice. "So do I have faith in you? I have so much faith I frighten myself. Do I know you? I should hope so, but there are secrets. Secrets that people don't share. And this was one of mine. Do what you will, I will accept it no matter the cost to my heart." Silent tears coursed down Kori's cheeks.
Richard felt all ripped up inside. He was causing Kori pain, but she had caused him pain and had kept something a secret. He turned on Xavier, who still hadn't wiped that damned smirk off his face. "How dare you!"
"How dare I what?" Xavier asked calmly, a little too calmly. And with a little happiness in his voice. How dare he be happy during this!
"How dare you try turning her secret against me! Do you think that because you flipped when you were younger, because she accidentally lost control over her powers, I would do the same? You must be insane. I love Kori Anders. Do you hear me? I love her. And nothing you say or do will take that love away from me. She can have scaly skin or a horn in the middle of her head for all I care and I would still love her. So take your snotty, stuck up, prepped out face away from here and don't you dare come looking for my Kori again! Do you understand me?" Xavier looked at him, with anger apparent in his eyes, which flared to a deep dangerous red. "I repeat, do you understand me, prep boy?"
"Understood, Mr. Grayson," Xavier replied with threatening calm. "Understood completely. I will see myself out."
"Out of Jump City, pee brain."
"Of course," Xavier answered smoothly. And then he disappeared into the dark. Richard sagged with exhaustion.
"Did you mean that?" Kori asked, somewhat hopeful.
"Mean what?" Richard asked.
"That you would love me no matter what I look like or am on the outside?"
Richard chuckled. "Starfire, I don't think my head has a choice. You have my love. With or without my consent."
Kori caught the underlying joke for what it was. "Which is it though?"
"I think with my consent." And then he turned serious. "Kori, you know I love you so why didn't you tell me?"
Kori looked down ashamed. "I was afraid. I know that you love me, I just didn't know how deep the love went."
"Oh, I'm swimming in it," Richard jested and Kori smiled weakly. "Give a guy a chance next time instead of assuming. Alright? That's all I ask."
"Then that's all I give," Kori replied humorously. Richard chased her into the night, her laughter echoing in the all but silent park.
TTTTT
"So dudes, is that Xavier dude still following Kori?" Garfield asked as they all lounged in Richard's apartment.
"Nah, we got rid of him," Richard replied as he squeezed Kori's shoulders.
"Then who's up for Dying Zombies 5000?" Garfield shouted happily.
"Beast Boy, you're giving me a headache," Rachel said in her monotone voice. "Tone it down."
"Yeah, grass stain, the girl can't concentrate," Victor added.
"I am not a grass stain! Robot brains!"
"Grass stain!"
"Robot brains!"
"Please, stop!" Rachel cried, exasperated. The two stopped and stared at her dumbfounded. "And grow up while you're at it."
"Oh please, that's too much effort," Garfield replied offhandedly. Everyone started laughing.
"Hey, check this out," Victor exclaimed, waving a newspaper in the air. "Bruce Wayne taking an annual tour."
"He never takes an annual tour," Richard responded instantly and everyone's eyes turned to him. Richard turned a shade red. "He's my guardian, I'd know."
"You're guardian?!" His friends and girlfriend exclaimed at once.
Richard felt like melting. "Yeah. He adopted me."
"Oh my gosh!" Garfield cried in excitement. "I'm friends with someone rich! Can you touch me so it'll rub off?" He turned to Victor. "Does richness rub off?"
Victor slapped him across the face and Garfield glared at him. "Wake up, Tofubrains. Act like a person for a change." He turned back to Richard. "So why'd you keep this a secret?"
"It was never a secret," Richard replied. "It just never came up."
"Guys, just let it rest," Kori interjected defensively.
"Fine," Rachel said and then turned to Richard. He sensed another testy air coming about her. As did everyone else, who backed away from her immediately. "You said he doesn't take annual tours, so what's he want this time?"
"To persuade me to come back."
There. Hope that made things right and yes, I did leave you all with another cliffy. Remember that I want at least 290 reviews for the next update.
Can't wait to hear from you all!
Your's truly,
moonlitsfantasy