Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Teen Titans.
Kori's POV
Calm down, Kori. Just go over there and tell him how you feel. And pray he doesn't slam the door in your face. She was speeding down the familiar road far exceeding the maximum speed allowed. Normally she was a stickler for the law but this was a significant exception.
She came upon Richard's home grateful that something had finally worked out for her. There was his black shiny vehicle parked in the middle of the driveway. She quickly got out of her BMW and unwaveringly ran up to the door. She rang the doorbell and waited impatiently for the door to open. After a series of moments, it creaked open casually.
"Alfred…please can I talk to Richard?" Kori asked in a dire rush.
"I'm sorry Madam, he is presently out of the manor."
"What? But his car is here?" she pointed toward his Cadillac.
"He was picked up by his friends, Mr. Harper and Ms. Gordan."
"Oh…" she uttered more dejectedly than surprised. Her motivation was slowly diminishing as the day progressed. Her distress was short lived however…
"Yes, they left this morning. Maybe you would have better luck if you checked at Gotham Academy. They were attending Mr. Waterson's swim meet, I believe. I'm sure if you leave now, you might still reach him." he winked faintly. This was not becoming of a butler and he quickly composed himself.
"Thank you, Alfred." she smiled, taking his little endearment to heart. She wasted no time and retreated to her car.
He closed the door behind him quite proud of himself. If he had to help Master Richard and his beloved Kori into each other's arms, so be it. Teenagers.
She traveled through mid-traffic oblivious to the sound of the roaring thunder in the now darkening sky. But rain was the least of her worries. She would meet Richard face to face if it was the last thing she did.
She'd traveled to Gotham Academy only once before, for one of Xavier's soccer games. And she only hoped her memory served her right on the directions. What felt like a everlasting drive to Richard's old alma mater in actuality, according to the clock on her radio, was a twenty minute race. She made her way into the bustling parking lot which was filled with rivaling school buses and the attendee's vehicles.
After receiving general directions to the entrance of the pool arena, she entered the vast lobby just outside where the competition was being held. She stared at the mass of people standing around and in the bleachers, an overwhelming redness gracing her face. As social as she was, she was never one to panic with a huge crowd but then again never was her love life hanging on by a thread.
"Great. Now how am I going to find him?" She walked around lost and confused looking up to the stands for any sign of the person she longed to see. If his absence wasn't badgering enough, she could sense stares drawn at her. Maybe it was her paranoia but it was almost as if they could tell she didn't belong there. Or it could be the perverse spectators had never seen a beauty like her before, as she rolled her eyes after hearing catcalls and voices trying to summon her attention.
She breathed out quietly running her fingers through her long luscious locks. She grew weary from all the walking and turned briskly around, unfortunately bumping into someone and sending them straight to the ground. She turned to see a teen boy along with what she thought were Gotham Academy fundraising t-shirts spread out over the floor.
Immediately her hands went to her mouth as she gasped…"Oh my God! I'm so sorry." she pleaded. She swooped down aiding the gentleman up while also helping him gather his shirts. She quickly noted he was rather quiet and shy as he had not said anything to her yet. His thick blonde curly hair and long sideburns caught her attention as not many boys had that hairstyle, well not anymore.
"Um…are you Ok? Did I hurt you?" she waited for a response. All she received was a simple smile along with a little pink tint on his cheeks.
"Uh…I take it your alright then?" she asked helping dust the invisible dirt off his shoulders. And still he said nothing.
"Ok…uh…nice shirts." she pointed to the cotton cloths now firmly placed over his shoulder. Suddenly he brought his arms up in a series of hand gestures. Kori immediately recognized this to be sign language and she apprehensively started stuttering…
"I'm sorry I don't know what you're saying." she informed regretfully.
"He said don't worry about it." a voice behind her sounded. Kori turned startled by the unexpected sound and stared into the eyes she was so desperately searching for…
"Richard." she also noticed how Babs was clinging on to his back while Roy remained in the background.
"What are you doing here, Kori?"
"Looking for you." Richard looked to the muted boy and waved.
"It's alright Jerry. I'll handle it from here." Before leaving Jerry did several more gestures making Richard raise an eyebrow in the process. Jerry smirked and proceeded to leave.
"Well you found me." he said nonchalantly focusing his gaze back at her.
"Look Richard I was wondering if we could go somewhere and talk."
"Anything you say to Richard, you can say in front of us." Babs smart mouthed.
"Babs…" Richard turned to her but Kori interrupted.
"No she's right. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. For everything. For not listening to you, not letting you explain and for not trusting you. It was wrong of me."
"You are?" he said crinkling his brow in question.
"Yes! You see Xavier told me everything that happened that night. He played no part in it. Kitten told him what she did to you."
"Did what?"
"She did something to you…put something in your drink. That's why you didn't remember anything. That's why I walked in on you."
"I knew it. And you thought I would actually be with her. So now you only believe me because X told you the truth. Otherwise you still would blame me…right?"
"No…that's not true. I've been going out of my mind trying to get you to speak to me, to explain. I phoned you last night but you never returned my call."
"What? No you didn't…" he commenced his negative contention once more.
"Stop!" she put her hands in front of herself, demandingly. "I don't want to argue anymore. I just need you to listen to me. I know that despite everything that has happened between us…there is one thing I'm absolutely sure of. I love you more than ever, Richard. Not once did I stop loving you. You were the first thing I thought about every morning and you were the last thing on my mind before I went to bed."
"I trusted you with everything I had but then I went and I let you down. With you in my life, I knew who I was…and what I wanted to be. But since you've been gone, I've been completely and totally lost. Sometimes I don't even know who I am anymore."
Kori paused after the sound of her collapsing voice. This was harder than she had anticipated. During her dialogue, she observed how she had gathered an audience as people who were tracking about now made a stop to listen at her touching speech.
"And right now I probably look like a complete idiot saying this in front of complete strangers…but it's the truth and I don't care." a stifled laugh escaping her mouth in her current discomfiture.
The awkward silence was agonizing. If there were crickets around, you would of heard their heartbeats. But what frightened her even more was Richard's immobile and inexpressible face.
"Please say something, anything…" her glossy eyes danced side to side into his trying to read his indecisive mind.
"What do you want me to say? You should have trusted me Kori. You should have known that I would never hurt you. I promised you that from the very beginning, remember? But I can't help but wonder if you will ever really trust me."
Sounds of gasps and shock at his words were uttered from the horde of watchers. Richard could've sworn he heard a slur of 'what a jerk' and 'hey red I'll be with you' coming from aback. But he paid no mind to the onlookers, he simply looked to her. Kori slowly nodded her head understanding his words, he was hurt by her. And now she was hurt by him but only then, it finally sunk in that he would not be taking her back. She bit her lip sadly then whispered…
"Ok…Ok…" she stated humbly. "But before I go…" she went to embrace Richard wrapping her arms around his neck tightly afraid to let go of him and whispered honestly into his ear…
"All I wanted was to take care of you, Richard. Because I love you. I always will love you." and she went to kiss his cheek fervently knowing this would be the last time she felt him. She couldn't break herself from him, she devoured the moment knowing it would end all too soon. But it had to and like that she unlatched herself from his world and left. The supportive stares she received while exiting only made her walk even more vigorously out of the arena.
Richard's POV
Richard felt her lips on his cheeks, her lips…the very touch of her flesh made him vibrate with ecstasy to no end. It took more than all his willpower to keep himself from bolting onto to her, to prevent her from leaving his side. It was her love for him, the very thing that kept him sound and animated, and she expressed it freely and openly to the world. He loved her and there was no unforeseeable doubt in his mind about it. But her words…it downright tortured his heart, pricked at his veins and drained him of his fundamental crimson blood.
She wanted to take care of me. Why of all the people in God's green Earth would she choose him to care for? Why wouldn't he let her? Insecure…maybe. Fear…perhaps. Though the sound of Babs constant chattering broke him of his thoughts…
"You may not think so now Dick, but you'll soon see this is for the best." he quickly turned to face her, almost enraged at her comment. How the hell could she know if this was for the best? His concentration was now garnered by the whispers of former classmates and the watchers who had gathered round for a dramatic show.
The announcement that intermission was now over was screamed over the loudspeakers. Babs had since reached for his hand, leading him back to the stands where they previously sat during Garth's match.
The nucleus of his heart was filling up into a dark void and it screamed at him, bickering loud words to his mentality. As they were about to be seated, he quickly removed his hand from hers. He knew what he had to do. He rounded away from them and began trailing down the steps of the bleachers.
"Richard, where are you going?" she asked bemused at his sudden action.
"I'm going after her." he admitted with fortitude.
"You can't." she rose out of her seat and trailed after him.
"Babs, stop it already." he brought his hand forward attempting her to remain in her seat. "I'm not going to make another mistake, not with Kori. And I'm not going to let anyone keep me from her."
"But…" she whispered silently after he turned and ran towards the exit of the bleachers.
"Just let him go. He loves her and there's nothing you can do about it. Let him be happy. He loves her." Roy said gesturing her to sit back down. She glared at his poignant remark.
"Well Donna sure has you whipped into her little lapdog." she teased cruelly.
Richard strode out to the parking lot where he believed was the only place Kori had scattered to. He unwittingly bumped into a few people on his way as he ran past them in his frantic search for her. Don't be gone…don't be gone.
"Kori!" he shouted out to the crowd, wishing she'd appeared out of the mess of people.
"Kori!" he roared reaching and surveying the parking lot. The loud clasp of thunder sent everyone into a frenzy as they tried to escape the impeding rain. With the heavy traffic of cars and people roaming about, it was impossible to see anything clearly.
"Kori…don't leave me…" he spoke softly dripping with grief. He ran both his hands through his now sweaty locks with his exhalation now jagged. The parking area still showed no signs of his love and he felt his body go numb.
He was about to turn back into the academy to continue his search when he instantly caught sight of her. Not more than ten feet away, there she was leaning with her arms crossed onto the brick pillar in front of the school. And she saw him. She stared at him with a mixture of sadness and uncertainty. And like a speed demon, he raced up to her.
"Kori…please let me explain. No wait, there is no explanation for the way I acted. I've been wanting to tell you this for so long. But…I love you…I do. I love you so much. I've never felt anything this intense before and it scares me. But then I look at you…and these extreme feelings I have for you, I know I could never feel them for anyone else and I don't want to." Kori held her hard stare at him throughout his expressive eruption. Moreover, Richard detected how her body ceased from any movement, no emotion whatsoever. He gulped largely thinking the worst but continued…
"You can scream at me, hell you can even punch me if you want. I deserve it but…just don't tell me goodbye."
Kori looked away as if trying hard not to hurt his feelings. But did a sharp turn back to him with a desolate frown placed vaguely on her face. Richard, who could only assume according to her facial, breathed out softly knowing the true disclosure of his feelings didn't work. At that exact moment, Kori blinked innocently and turned her frown upside down into a mischievous grin, which swiftly turned into a vast smile.
She immediately leaped out of her position and jumped onto Richard. His quick reflexes caught her instantly as she wrapped her firm legs around his waist and locked on. She fastened her arms strongly around his neck as he moved her straying bangs away from her face to give her a furious but adoring kiss. After about half a minute of pure bliss they hesitantly pulled their faces apart.
"I'd never leave you, Richard." Again she went to embrace his lips with hers as he kept whispering sweet 'I love you' through their kisses.
They were lost within each other and nothing else mattered. Not their lapse of mistrust, not their arguments, or anything in between. Only the undying nature of their love and expectations together. And no sooner did the pound of rainwater fall atop their heads. But that did nothing to derive them out of their glorious stupor as they continued to draw into one another, unlike the crowd surrounding them scurrying about like ants in an anthill.
"Let's get out of here." Richard said.
"And do what?" she stated teasingly, full aware of what he had in mind.
"Collect stamps of course." he joked. Richard began making his way to Kori's car, still carrying her almost too afraid she'd fade away once he let go. Kori pulled out her keys from her pocket and dangled them in front of Richard.
"You drive." she ordered snuggling her face into the crook of his neck, reserved only for her.
Terra's POV
"And don't hog the phone, I'm expecting a call from Gar and Rachel." Terra warned her little brother, Brion. She hated babysitting him but she had no choice. At the sound of the doorbell she walked quickly to answer it.
She opened the door only to meet the same bright green eyes she spent so many nights shedding tears over.
"Ryan? What are you doing here?" she appeared worried at his fallen form. "What's wrong?"
"We need to talk." he demanded.
Terra moved aside as she held the door open allowing him entry. Ryan made his way to her living room and stood there looking directly to the ground.
"Talk to me, what's wro…" only her mouth didn't finish as Ryan took a hold of her head and swiftly brought her to him engaging her in a passionate kiss. Naturally, she felt her knees get weak and tiptoed herself for a better reach. She helped him along by seizing hold of his waist which only urged him to continue. Soon after, they stopped when Ryan realized he still had to speak with her.
"I love you. And I don't want to push you aside anymore."
As much as Terra loved hearing his words, she shook her head unsure. "I want to believe you…I really do. As much as I love you…I want to."
"Then do it because it's the truth. I'm sorry for hurting you all those times I left you alone."
"Ryan, even with you gone to college I never felt alone. I always had you here." She brought her hand up and touched the exterior portion over her heart. "But when you told me I deserved better…how could you think that? All I wanted, all I ever needed was you. I would have waited for you, you knew that."
"Well if you're willing, you won't have to wait anymore."
"What do you mean?" she implored. To her this couldn't be happening, it must have been a dream for him to utter these simple words.
"I'm moving back to Gotham. I'm going to take over my father's company like he wanted me to." he answered taking a hold of her hand.
"But what about college?" she asked.
"There isn't anything that college can teach me that I don't already know. I'm my father's son after all. Besides I've been there way over two years but I guess that doesn't matter when you're the president of your own company." he joked.
"I hope you know what you're doing."
"I know exactly what I'm doing. I'd do anything to be closer to you. And maybe we could…"
"Shh…" she wrapped her arms around his neck enveloping him in a soft hug. She then tiptoed herself and brought her head up to his. They endured a romantic trance as their lips danced with each other savoring every moment.
"That's disgusting." shrieked Brion, who came into the room bothered by the spectacle.
"Maybe we should go somewhere more private." Ryan suggested.
"Maybe you're right." she agreed leading him up the stairs to her room.
Rachel's POV
"Tell me again why are we doing this on a Saturday night?" Gar whined.
"Because I need to keep my grade point average up if I plan on getting into a decent college. And I'll be needing a scholarship for that." she informed him. She continued to write in a quietly into her notebook.
"But you're already way smarter than anyone I know. Doesn't it hurt your brain to process any more information in there?" he said flipping through the channels of her living room television.
"Unlike you Gar, my head doesn't hurt when I think." she said annoyed of his comments. "Damn it." she uttered.
"What?" Gar questioned looking back at her.
"Do you have a pencil in your bag. The lead broke off of this one."
"Yeah…it's in the inside lower pocket."
"Thanks." Rachel grabbed his bag and searched for his pencil. In her quest for the lead pen, she found a green folder she'd never seen before and took it out. Gar looked over to her again and his eyes widened quickly. No! She found it. She's going to see her picture. She's going to freak out if she sees her picture. I thought I took it out.
"No…wait. I'll get it for you." he said flying out of the sofa and rushed to grab the folder out of Rachel's grasp. She stared at him with a small smidge of hurt.
"What's with the folder?" she asked getting a little angry at his sudden snatch for it.
"Nothing." he said reaching for the pencil and handed it to her.
"Yeah right. What's in that folder that you don't want me to see Gar?" she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Rachel I said nothing so drop it." he said more demanding.
"What a letter from a girl?" she accused. He only looked to her, she was half right. Guiltily he went to hold her hand but she pulled away in anger.
"Now you're acting ridiculous." he joked warily aware of his girlfriend's temper.
"Look Gar if there is someone else or you just don't want to be with me, you can just tell me." she ordered him.
"It's not that Rachel. I promise. I'm just afraid you're going to kill me if you find out." Now Rachel grew even more concerned. What was he hiding from her?
"Do you trust me?" she asked.
"You know I do." he grinned mildly. He thought about it for a moment and gently handed her his folder, defeated. Rachel took hold of it and looked at him curiously. She opened it lightly and gasped…
"How did you get this?" she asked in stupefaction.
"Well you threw it away and so I went and I got it." he confessed with embarrassment written all over his face.
Rachel held the paper in her hands and fluctuated her stare from it to Gar. Her eyes gazed down at the self portrait she made in seventh grade as part of her art project. She was the best in the whole school but for some reason she didn't think drawing herself was her best work. She reminisced about it, it was so long ago. Wait a minute that was almost five years ago.
"You've held on to this since the seventh grade?"
"Yeah." he blushed. "It's been kinda like a good luck charm for me or something." he said sincerely but still nervous at the same time. Rachel's tiny smile at least made him think she wasn't too angry.
"So are you mad at me? I mean you don't think it's creepy or something, do you?"
"Creepy…no." she went and grabbed at his hand. She knew he meant well and no one would ever understand her like he did. But it stunned her how he could never seize to amaze her. Everyday was really a new day with him. She always knew she loved him…and his bothersome and childish ways.
"Look maybe we can skip the work for today. Why don't we go get a pizza?" Immediately she viewed his gleaming white teeth and she felt content.
"Can we have tofu pizza?" he said going to the coat rack near the door.
"Ugh…I'm still getting used to this. But it's a great practice." she uttered to herself. He grabbed both their coats and handed hers over to her. They scurried into the hard pouring rain and into Angela's car driving away.
Richard's POV
Richard heard a faint knock at his door and reluctantly got out of his bed putting his jeans back on. He opened the door to see Alfred with hands folded behind his back.
"I do not mean to disturb you Master Richard but a woman stopped a few moments ago and left this for you." He brought into sight an envelope with his name written on front, bearing the name 'Dick'. He closed the door behind him…Oh great…Babs.
He opened the envelope and took out a folded paper. He read it quickly and smirked…
I'm counting on you…take special care of her.
X
At the sound of the rustling paper, he heard Kori stirring in bed.
"Richard? Is something wrong?" she asked tiredly.
"Hey sleeping beauty. No nothing's wrong." he said placing the sheet inside his drawer. He went and again took his pants off until he was left in his red briefs. He huddled under the sheets along with Kori. He took hold of her waist and pulled her towards him as she snuggled her back along his chest. He wrapped his arm around her protectively while he used the other to stroke her hair gently.
"Just go back to bed." he whispered kissing her head in the dim room.
"What was that letter?" she yawned still sleepy.
"Just a reminder of what I plan on doing for the rest of my life." he answered her truthfully. Kori turned and wrapped an arm around from behind his neck and brought him down for a tender kiss before drifting back off to a peaceful sleep.
Fin
All right guys, sad to say but we've come to the end of the tale. I hope everyone enjoyed reading it, all aspects of it. This was my first after all, so your thoughts and opinions would be appreciated, not trying to be a pain or anything.
It was a blast writing this and reading all your reviews, especially the funny ones (you know who you are) and the loyal ones who kept with me during every chapter (you also know who you are). It gave me the encouragement I needed to keep going. And I figured since you all took the time to review, I could at least take the time and post each member that did. Thanks again, and take care!
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