Breaking free, flying home

Slade's patience had thinned in the first few days, it had become as thin as the skin on a shark's teeth in one week, it had run out within two weeks, now, two weeks and three days later, he was fed up and pissed off.

He knew letting him go had been a bad idea. But he couldn't have stopped him, and he couldn't go after him now. He would wait a little while longer… it gave him a chance to get his tests done instead; time that his sweet Robin would have otherwise spent alone.

()*()*()*

Currently

()*()*()*()*

Ro bin was stretching, staring at the food that Red had set out. He'd taken to dropping by randomly; slipping past all the tower's defenses, raiding the fridge, and making everyone at the tower hate him every other day. God, Robin loved him. He smiled and sat at the table "did Batman leave yet?" Red chuckled and put a plate in front of him "good morning to you too, Robin. And no, the bat says something about not trusting you… you know, your condition and all."

Robin groaned "god, don't you just get tired of him too?" Red cleared his throat "actually, no. I agree with him." At Robin's incredulous look, the red head merely shrugged "You still aren't acting like yourself. You won't touch me, you don't put gel in your hair anymore; I like you kid… too much to be unsure of whether or not you're going to be safe or not while I'm not around. Just give it some time."

Robin sighed, and then smirked "I won't touch you, huh?" suddenly, he was behind Red, wrapping his arms around him, and then he turned him around and gave him a kiss that blew his mind. His breath was hot and wanting, his body lithe and his skin pale. His ruby lips teased at red's, the way his teeth grazed his lips and tongue just enough to make him shudder in pleasure… it was just too experienced too practice. He almost pulled away, but he didn't. Instead he kissed back, tangling a hand in his hair.

Batman clenched his fist in the shadows, a look of pain crossing his face, as he was swept away by his memories, the same memories he always felt when acknowledging his feelings to Robin.

Richard screamed, bolting from his bed. Sobs wrecked his body. Bruce opened the door, and looked around for the invisible enemy. But one look at Robin told him that there was no saving the poor kid from his monsters.

Richard slumped to the ground, not knowing he wasn't alone. He gripped the front of his shirt, as if in terrible pain, and cried. It had only been three days since he'd moved into Wayne manor, and every night he had the same dream.

His memories of his mom, his dad… his life, they haunted him.

Bruce knew this feeling. He knew there was nothing he could say or do to help, so he shut the door silently and clenched his eyes tightly, hearing the boy's broken heart rip open with every retching sob that broke free; he would soon run out of tears. He walked away, it was best. No one could help the boy heal but himself, he'd learned that the hard way

It was Robin's first day of school, and he came back home right after the bell rang. He entered the mansion and ripped off his tie. Something was bothering him. Bruce lent against the wall "what's up?"

Robin shook his head "I hate it there. Everyone's so… and then they…." The boy looked away "they all say 'hi, you must be 'Dick Wayne', or 'oh, Bruce Wayne's boy! How charming'… they act like I'm one of them!" Bruce licked his lips and looked down. 'One of them' he meant the other boys, the rich boys. And he was not a fancy kid, he was a circus boy! He'd petted lions and swung from the highest heights; he was the boy wonder, and 'Rich' was only a part of his name to him. Bruce settled his hands on his shoulders "you do belong there, Dick, you are my adopted son, and no one would be able to look the other way if Bruce Wayne put his son in some public school."

Alfred intervened and offered Richard some milk and cookies.
_-_

Robin had woken up from a nightmare, and knocked on Bruce's door. But he wasn't there. Alfred had told him, when Bruce had come across the boy, fast asleep outside of his bedroom door, that Dick had waited all of the night.

Bruce decided he needed to get over his fears, so he took the still sleeping child to bed, and tucked him in. then he turned and left. E wished he could hold him, and tell him that everything was alright; that everything would be just fine in the morning. But it wouldn't be, his life would never be the same again.

It was Richard's Sixteenth birthday, and he was making small talk with the boys in his class. He didn't like them, he didn't even know half of their name; Richard had no true friends. But Bruce had taught him to act like the entire world knew him, because some day, they would.

Bruce sighed; he'd messed up so much. He was never helping, when all he wanted to make it easier for the boy, he made it worse.

For the next month Robin slowly, but noticeably healed, only becoming depressed ever so often. Red was kissing Robin in the living room, gently cradling his face, smiling as the other teen blushed and latched to him.

Bruce watched from the corner with sad eyes, still wishing that he'd never broken the boy's heart…

Suddenly, the alarm's screamed; not the alarms for a city attack, one that meant an intruder was on the island. Batman immediately made his presence known as he shut the siren off "don't worry; he's not much of a threat. He's skinnier then an anorexic Riddler." There was a sudden banging on the door "ROBIN! ROBIN! SLADE'S IN TROUBLE!"

Robin bolted to the door "That's James!" both men tried to stop him at the mention of Slade. Robin was faster, and he wretched the door open "James, what's wrong?" The man in question had blood dripping from his head "It's Slade, we were undergoing the usual experiments… then his vitals started failing, he started having memory relapses… He's in a paranoid trance. We think you might be able to break through to him. Please, Robin, he needs you."

Robin looked back, everyone had come into the living room, everyone stared at him with pleading eyes "don't kid, you're doing so well."

Robin shook his head, closing his eyes, then looked at James "take me to him."