Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. If I did, I'd share them with Kry.

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Warning: Unrepentant fluff

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You've Got Mail

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Chapter 54

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"Let's change the subject," Richard said, dropping his voice lower, moving in for a kiss. The booth really did afford them privacy at the restaurant and even if it didn't, Richard was not planning on letting the moment go by without conveying to Kori how he felt about her.

Kori smiled, relieved at Richard's suggestion. "Yes, please."

"We can put all our worries aside for a few days, don't you agree? Let's just assume that we are on another vacation together like our first trip when we went to Napa. We can do that, can't we?"

Kori nuzzled his cheek, and then spoke quietly into his ear, "Mm-hmm. That is a most glorious idea. We share so many wonderful memories from that trip. Of course what first comes to mind is that it was there that we did the consummating of our relationship. Oh yes, we became so much closer. It will not be the hard to come up with all sorts of things we will be able to do during our time away now."

She took a deep breath in and out and Richard knew her well enough to know that the entire idea was affecting her as it was affecting him. She had become more and more relaxed around him and able to express her sexual side; something that at other time he might have preferred to keep more private, but at that moment, it was all he wanted.

"All sorts of things," he tried to echo. He had meant to sound sexy and smooth, but his voice was strangled as he choked it out.

"Um-hmm." Kori cocked her head to one side reaching up to fiddle and stroke the material of his silk tie. Kori looked down at the tie and sat back, no longer speaking into his ear, not yet making eye contact.

Oh she'd pay for taking the upper hand later, but for now he was happy to go along for the ride.

"The things we will be able to do will include items that can happen when there is no risk of your father sending in a helicopter to whisk you away at any moment for some silly little meeting." She nipped at his jaw line. "Just imagine the possibilities; we would be so relaxed. What is the word? Oh, yes, we could be the uninhibited. We could do whatever we wanted." She then looked into his eyes to see just how turned on he way, her eyes fully ablaze with desire; she was even surprising herself with her words and behavior. "Those are the types of things I am doing the speaking of."

Richard swallowed, as his body continued to respond to Kori. "Ah... yes, um, I like those things too. I am looking forward to those things."

Kori moved back a few inches, straightening up, subtly continuing her dominance, and pushed the envelope more by opening her shoulders up; the net effect was that as she moved in for another 'kill' that this time even closer to talk to Richard, she was pressed up against him more firmly. He shifted in his seat trying to get comfortable but that would prove impossible. Damn pants. Yes, Kori showed no mercy, truly embracing this side of her personality; her rather active breathing causing her chest to heave, forcing her breasts to move against Richard's chest. She had to breathe, didn't she? She made not effort to move, this was one more way for them to be intimately connected and he was having no difficulty with it whatsoever. He reveled in the connection, the power, the oneness.

Kori's eyes remained unchanged, still as loving, as desiring as any he'd ever seen peer back at him. It touched his soul.

Her eyes alternated between his lips and eyes as she spoke. "I am all for forgetting all of our concerns for the time we have here together my love, are you 'the game' as they say as well?"

He wanted to say just then that it was going to be more than a fantasy weekend, or the serious erotic fun that they were having, but Kori had other plans. She ran a hand up on his leg furthest from her, tracing gently from his knee upward, veering outward to his hip and then back again. Kori's expression then turned shy. "May I make a request?"

Richard had to clear his dry throat. "Anything."

"I would love champagne to celebrate. Could we order some to share?"

Richard smiled, feeling a great deal of relief. In a way as much as the connection he had felt at a near spiritual level between them moments before, this had been the moment he had been waiting for, this was the thing that was holding him back from offering her everything: Kori finally felt comfortable enough with their relationship and with him to make this kind of request. For her this was a huge step that she hadn't taken before. For most women it would have been nothing for them to ask for something as simple as a bottle of champagne.

Most women would comfortably ask for much more, much sooner with very little commitment, but they'd establish early on that Kori felt uncomfortable with things like that. So very uncomfortable in fact that they'd broken up for a while over a misunderstanding involving his generosity to her over groceries. Kori Anders would not be bought and that was a lesson hard learned by Dick Grayson.

"A bottle of champagne? Of course, darling, it's a great way to celebrate. I would love to order a bottle for us-" Richard went to signal the waiter and Kori put a hand on his upper arm gently to stop him.

She cocked a brow. "Oh Richard, you have made an assumption that I feel we need to be sure we are on the same page about prior to any of the rejoicing."

Richard smiled. "Tell me."

"I think you would do the agreeing with me that there is a great deal more for the two of us to celebrate than just having the opportunity to forget our concerns for a three or four day period, Richard." Her fingers traced the same pattern over Richard's leg again and he thought he would likely soon lose his mind – or his control – if she continued those repeated trips of her tantalizing fingers over his sensitive flesh.

Kori suddenly wondered if she had gone too far. She lifted he hand. "Richard?"

"Kori?"

"Was this too much? I got carried away, it's just-"

"Oh no, you have not gotten carried away at all darling. I love you, I love this side of you. Perhaps not every time we're out for a meal," he winked and she understood easily his meaning, "but I am really enjoying tonight. Please continue. Please."

Kori smiled happily, a smile that turned sultry as she resumed her sweet torture. Richard closed his eyes to tempt fate, to fully take in the sensation for just a moment, it felt so, so good... he let things go on for a bit and thought about that happy smile, and all the sides of Kori.

He then remembered something he'd been wanting to do for some time, and he then decided to change the mood a bit from seduction to something more than that.

Richard reached down and laid his hand over Kori's, not really wanting things to end, but he had been taken over by a sense of urgency. He took her hand and brought it to his lips looking into her eyes, his eyes conveying the love he felt for her. Her eyes that had been dark with lust softened and reflected back what he felt.

This is it.

Richard looked Kori in the eyes and professed, "Oh Kori, you're right... How can I put this? We have not had a chance to take the time to celebrate... I need to take this time to tell you how I feel about you, how happy I am that I found you, and how perfect you are for me; and how perfect I'm fairly certain you'll agree we are for each other. 'Celebrate' is certainly what I hope is the best word, what we will be doing, because it is something we can do together, because I am hoping that once I ask you something, I'm hoping you'll want to celebrate with me." He chuckled and shook his head. "This has been such an awkward way to say what I'm trying to."

Kori was processing things, her face open, not quite caught up with what Richard had said, but reassured him, "I say the most awkward things at times, we both know this."

"It's adorable when you do it." She giggled and he gave a nervous chuckle. "So Kori, may I ask you something? I'll try to be less awkward"

"Of course."

"Kori, I love you. You mean so much to me. I have never been happier. I'm happier than I thought I could ever be. You make me a better person. It's been that way since I met you and I can't see my life without you. You are my best friend, my girlfriend and my lover and as long as we're together, we'll be okay. I've been thinking about this and talking about the future is something we've done more and more but I want to make it official: Kori Anders, will you marry me?"

Kori's eyes flashed in surprise and she teared up. She hadn't expected a proposal. She had wanted to marry Richard from almost the beginning. She tried to ignore thinking about the hard parts, the complications, in that moment; what this might or might not change in her life.

Kori's expression was unreadable. "Oh Richard-"

Richard half sucked in a breath. Was she going to say no?

Ten seconds went by. Twenty. She wasn't sure what she was waiting for, but finally she was certain it was real. It was unexpected, but, no, it was not unwanted. Kori let out a fairly restrained squeal. "Yes! Oh Richard of course I'll marry you!"

"Oh thank you." Richard smiled. "You won't regret it."

"Neither will you." Kori smiled nervously.

"Kori Anders soon-to-be-Grayson, may I please kiss you?"

She gave a slight nod, shaking a bit. Richard met her lips and they shared a kiss. It was chaste but they could not resist allowing it to linger for a bit. They had been far less discrete earlier in their booth, but this was a kiss to remember for a lifetime and they both knew they would.

When the kiss ended, Richard placed his forehead to Kori's. "I love you."

"I love you."

They separated but Richard didn't take his eyes off Kori's but signaled the waiter, who approached the table immediately. Still with his eyes locked with Kori's, Richard said to the server, "If you would please chose a nice bottle of champagne for us, that would be wonderful. We have a great deal to celebrate."

The waiter trotted off and Richard and Kori were alone.

"I apologize Kori; asking you to marry me on what may seem sudden. But all that I've said has been completely heartfelt and sincere." He bit his lower lip and then reached up and touched her cheek and then brushed a stray tear away with his thumb. "I had pictured a much more romantic proposal."

"It was a perfect one." Kori whispered, still shaking slightly.

"I have been thinking about marrying you for a long time, from very early on in our relationship. I wasn't sure how to time it." He paused and searched her eyes. "I thought I'd been clear. I was wasn't I? When I spoke about being together forever, it was never just a heat of the moment thing because, well, because..."

Kori blushed. "I would have the momentary doubts but always reassured myself that we have so much more; the real thing."

"We do, we've known it all along."

Kori nodded before they kissed again, shorter this time but with more passion.

"I'm sorry I don't have a ring yet."

"I do not need one. I have you and we know we are together."

Richard let out a bit of a growl and wrapped his arms around Kori and brought her closer, and she clutched his chest, "Oh, this is one situation where I am going to insist on my way, and my way is that you, my darling fiancee, are not leaving this country without a ring. It can be anything you want or I am happy to surprise you." He kissed her more forcefully, possessively and she surrendered to the kiss, to him. She was left breathless.

The waiter discretely set up the ice bucket to the side of Richard.

"Do you mind doing the honors sir?" Richard asked the waiter who gave a small bow.

Richard turned his attention back to Kori. "Happy?"

"Happy does not do the covering of it."

"Well Kori, that makes me very glad, and please get used to it. It's my goal to make you happy for the rest of our loves." Richard gave Kori a chaste kiss before pulling her in for a hug, marveling in how it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.

Once they were poured, Richard picked up both flutes of champagne, handing one to Kori, and he raised his glass. "To my partner in life: Kori I could not imagine a better match for me than you are. I am forever grateful that Donna persuaded you to put up an ad, that I lost that basketball game against Wally and that you decided not to block me when I responded to your ad."

Kori giggled as they gently touched glasses. "Thank you very much for proving yourself to not be the crude and inappropriate when you answered my ad." They took a sip and kissed and she raised her glass again, "To Richard: the man I am spending the rest of my life with. And yes, I will be forever grateful that your friend dared you to answer the personal ad as well as to Donna and Terry."

"We are going to be fine doing this long distance for a bit."

"Of course. And you will not let your father or this job or our distance get you the too broody."

Richard chuckled. "No, and I'll be sure to talk to you whenever I get down."

"Good, and I will be there for you." She giggled, "I hope you will do the calling of me other times as well."

"Perhaps."

"You better if you know what is the good for you."

"Of course I will, you know that."

He turned serious. "Please Kori, you've lost weight and I know being apart and having finals has been hard on you, but I need for you to take care of yourself."

She nodded, "I will."

Richard smiled. "Oh, I like it when you say those two words."

It took her a few seconds to realize what he meant and then she smiled happily. "You do not wish us for us to say 'I do' at the ceremony."

"Well, I didn't say that. 'I do' is fine. 'I will' is fine. 'Yes' works. Anything which is affirmative-"

"Richard!"

"All right, all right, either 'I do' or 'I will' will be perfect."

"I completely agree."

TtTtTtTtTt

To be continued...