Merry Christmas Yumi-wuves-YAOI! I wuv YOU for suggesting this… because I really got to INDULGE in… well... you know what… let's not ruin this story for everyone else, shall we? Oh, some will hate this… but I hope YOU like it, that's the important thing! Shite, it turned into 31 pages! But this needed quite a bit of background story, so… and YES I could have cut and edited, making this a sharper story, but I just went crazy and spoiled myself instead… so sue me… ;o)
Oh, and happy birthday Bakkazaru! Hope you find something to like in this too!
Circus Freak
Robin swung between two buildings, a pizza bag under one arm, cape flaring, and a huge grin on his face. And why not? He was on his way home to the Tower with surprise pizza, it was a wonderful spring day... and his birthday! Not that the Titan's knew, of course, Robin kept his true identity well under wraps, but it didn't matter. Robin didn't care about presents, he only wanted to spend some fun time with his friends.
Something down on the street caught his eye. A parade? He landed on the next building over and took a look. His smile grew even wider. A circus! What a perfect place to spend his birthday! He studied the caravan closely. He couldn't remember seeing the name before… "Findus' Exotic Circus"? Well, they all couldn't be short and snappy, Robin guessed. The amazing thing about this circus was that it was completely old fashioned. The caravans were the wooden kind, drawn by sturdy horses and painted in stark, clashing colors. The people were dressed up in their show outfits, some of them, Robin noted were even dressed up to look like different animals, clowns were handing out flyers and some free tickets, a ballerina balanced on the back of one of the horses, dogs in sparkly outfits walked on their hind legs, and caught frisbees their trainer tossed to them, and acrobats cart wheeled and flip-flopped around the laughing spectators. Some of the wagons were covered, and some, Robin suspected, contained cages. He frowned, as he didn't like the thought of wild animals being used, but maybe the wagons were only storage? At the end of the row, two Indian elephants made the crowd gasp and cheer, and Robin suspected that most of the kids down there would harass their parents to go to the show tonight.
"So you're delivering now? I want a large pepperoni. Extra cheese."
Robin barely flinched.
"Go steal you own, X, these are for my friends."
The thief blinked behind his mask. He had fully expected to be at the receiving end of a bo-staff by now, and he had really hoped to be able to distract the Titan long enough to steal that pizza bag… What? Stolen pizza tasted better! Just last week he had made the cute green kid cry… What was getting all Robin's attention anyway? It was making him slightly jealous. Red X peered over the edge.
"Wow, a circus! Looks like fun, wanna go?"
Robin only snorted and in a flash he was gone, heading for home.
Red X pulled out a small communicator and turned it on.
"Hi, big bad, it's me… guess what we're doing tonight?"
Robin burst into the Tower, grinning like mad. Sure he felt a bit guilty about not doing anything about Red X, but to be honest, the thief hadn't done anything illegal right then, had he? Eyeing pizzas was probably okay. Besides, he was in a hurry.
"Pizza's here!" he shouted out, having a green puppy in his arms in an instant. licking his face. "Urrgghhh! BB! Stop! Just say thank you like normal people!" Robin laughed. As the rest of the Titan's showed up, digging into the pizza cartons, Robin told them the news.
"There's a circus in town! Wanna go?"
The response wasn't exactly what he had hoped for.
"Sorry, man, people always think I'm part of the show…" Cy muttered.
"Those people of clowns are too scary!" Starfire whispered, hugging herself.
"Not if there are animals… can't look at animals in cages…" Beast Boy said.
Robin turned to the last of the group.
"Raven?"
The pale girl merely arched a brow. Her at a circus? Really, there were limits…
"No? Didn't think so." Robin sighed. "Well, I'm going… I promise to check that the animals are fine…" Robin said, smiling at Beast Boy.
Robin all but jumped up after finishing the pizza and, whistling loudly and not very melodiously, made his way to his workstation to get some things done before it was time to leave.
Cyborg glanced at the other Titans.
"What is it with him and circuses, anyway?" he whispered.
Robin found that the caravans had made camp on the outskirts of Jump and arrived on the scene early. He was in full uniform, as he had promised his friend to ensure that the place's four legged performers were well taken care off, and the outfit gave him the authority. He walked around the perimeter and then headed for a tent, almost the size of a barn, which had been erected separately from the main tent.
"Hello? Anyone there?" he called out as he entered the dark pavilion. There were the familiar smell of sawdust and animals in the air, and Robin couldn't help but smile.
"Hey, what'ya' doin' here?" a voice called out and Robin spun around. A broad shouldered man in overalls stood in the opening, glaring down at him with a shovel across his shoulder. Robin managed a polite smile.
"I beg your pardon. I did call out before I entered, but maybe you didn't hear me. I'm Robin from the Teen Titans of Jump City."
"And?"
Robin hesitated. Even the traveling people usually had heard of him and his team.
"We protect this city. I'm here to make sure everything is in order, but mainly I just came to enjoy the show… I love the circus." Robin smiled again and no one could miss the sincerity of his words. The man relaxed some and managed a tight smile back.
"Well, in that case… Sorry, but you can't see the animals now, they are eating and resting and shouldn't be disturbed." the man said in somewhat broken English.
Robin nodded, he remembered 'quiet time' from his childhood.
"I understand… during the intermission, then perhaps?" he asked as he followed the man outside.
He noted how the man stopped and looked at him strangely.
"Say, are you Romani?"
Robin beamed. Sure, it wasn't good for his identity if people saw it, but he was proud of his heritage.
"Half, on my dad's side. I grew up in a circus." he added, being unusually open.
The man relaxed completely, though and a real hearty grin appeared on his face.
"Why didn't you say so? You're family, then! Come meet the wife… she'll read your palm, find out if there's a pretty girl in your future, okay?"
Robin grinned. He would prefer a pretty boy, perhaps, but he didn't want to be that open.
He was showed to one of the brightly colored caravans and looked around with unbridled curiosity as he got inside. It was so rustic, so genuine. No modern stuff could be seen, it really looked like he had stepped back in time. A curvy middle-aged woman in a rather loud dress smiled questionably at him and his new acquaintance, who had introduced himself as Davos.
"Robin, this is Rita, my wife. Rita, this young man is one of us, why don't you tell him his fortune?"
The woman's face lit up and she waved Robin closer, making him sit down on the small padded bench across from her.
"So, young man… what is in store for you? Adventures? Riches? Lovely ladies?"
Tall, dark strangers? Robin thought wryly to himself. Tall, dark, DANGEROUS strangers? In his mind the image of a two-toned mask flashed by, before he shoved it back into his subconscious again.
"Tall, dark stra-" Rita stopped herself, looking a bit nonplussed. Robin almost laughed.
She must have mixed up the routine…
"Well, let's see… give me your hand…"
Robin did. The scientific, logical part of his mind naturally knew that fortunetelling was all bogus, but his heritage had taught him to at least respect the old customs. Besides, he didn't want to offend these people who were so nice to him.
"Oh, this is interest-" the woman began and then grew quiet. "May… may I have your other hand, please?"
Robin frowned.
"Didn't I wash, or what?" he tried to joke as he complied, but something about this made his gut twitch. She was supposed to babble on about lottery winnings, and looking out for men in white hats or something… didn't she know her job?
"I see… I see a very interesting life, but… your fifteenth birthday…"
"That's today!" Robin said, startled. "What about it? Bummer presents?"
The woman looked up into his eyes, with a very serious expression.
"More like a bummer curse, my boy."
Robin gaped. Oh, this woman was so not getting a tip!
"I am sorry, I did not mean to frighten you… it is not a curse, exactly, it's is more… heritage. Dormant in some. Not in you. It is in your Romani blood. On this day, at the time of your birth… you will change…"
"If that means puberty, that already happened…" Robin tried to joke again, but both Rita's and Davos' faces were very serious.
"What time where you born?"
"At intermission." Robin instantly answered. His parents had always joked about that even being born he didn't want to disturb the show. "I don't know the time, though… around 6 or 7 PM?"
"Do not worry, we'll look after you…" Rita said seriously and Robin grinned.
"Well, thanks, really! The show is about to start, though, and I haven't even bought my ticket yet…" he tried to excuse himself.
"Family doesn't pay!" Davos said and grinned widely at him, "Come on, we'll find you a seat!" Behind Robin's back he shot his wife a look and she nodded.
Robin was in heaven, enjoying himself. He had been seated right at ringside, getting an up close experience of the show. It was, he thought, quite amazing. Many people might have judged it as old fashioned, but Robin saw all the discipline and talent each act demanded, and knew it was top notch.
Funny that I've never heard of them before… he thought, and then suddenly blinding pain shot through his spine. He cried out, curling into himself, and suddenly there were hands gripping him, carrying him outside. The pain seemed to move, bursting out in mind-numbing jolts in his head, his stomach and his spine.
He was only half aware that the people carrying him had taken him inside another tent. He could dimly hear some voices.
"Poor boy."
"It can be a blessing as well as a curse, you know that."
"Hurts like hell, though…"
"I wonder what he'll be?"
"Go get the boss…"
Another burst of pain made Robin black out.
He awoke to the smell of sawdust and animals. He moved slowly, feeling his joints crack in protest at every turn. His mind was suddenly overwhelmed by scents and sounds, and he whimpered, curling in tighter on himself.
"A cat, huh? Pity…" a rough voice said above him. "Hard to train and unreliable… with his agility I had hoped for a monkey, or a snake… long time since we had a snake…"
"What are we going to do with him?" Robin recognized this voice. Rita. She sounded worried.
"Sell him, I guess. He's a pretty thing…"
"But he's only a boy!"
"Which means a higher price…" the man said again. Robin didn't like him. "We can't keep him, and he can't look after himself, even if we could just let him go… this way he will have someone who'll take care of him."
Robin thought he heard the woman answer, but he was falling back into unconsciousness.
He awoke again some time later, as something tickled his nose. He cracked an eye open and batted his tail away. He stretched before he realized what he had just done. Tail? Yup, poking out from his now ruined tights was a long black, glossy tail. Robin ran his hands over his face and body, happily finding that nothing else had changed. Apart from his ears. They had turned cat-like as well, and were higher up on his head than they used to be. No wonder it had hurt like hell. Robin whimpered again. He had trouble thinking straight, it was all just instincts and too many inputs from his heightened senses. He guessed they were heightened, anyway. He didn't remember being able to smell how many horses there were in here, and how many… Robin's nose crinkled… dogs?! He hastily withdrew to a corner, eying the outside of his cage suspiciously. He was glad the thing was raised off the floor a bit…
He knew, deep inside, that he should pick the lock of the cage and simply get out, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out how.
His ears perked. Someone was coming.
"Awake I see?" Robin looked up at a man dressed as a ringmaster, and rushed the bars, growling. The sound scared him half to death, and instead of following through with the attack, he recoiled to the corner, meowing at the top of his voice. That sound was creepy too, so then he just stopped.
There was a soft chuckle, and the man crouched in front of the cage.
"I know it's scary. You'll probably get your speech back eventually, the bright ones usually do. I know you can't really understand me, but we'll find someone who'll take care of you, you'll see."
Robin frowned. He could understand just fine! He… his eyes caught one of the golden tassels on the man's outfit. It was swinging back and forth, back and forth. Robin felt his tail twitch and he crouched down slightly.
"There, you see? You haven't been listening to a word I've said, have you?" the man and laughed as he stood up.
Robin's tail stopped and his ears drooped a bit as his target disappeared.
What? Listened to what? He shook his head. Why was it so hard to focus?
Another man came up to the cage and the ringmaster started to give him some assignments.
"We'll try to sell him after the VIP show. Take any interested guests down here. He's new, but we ought to be able to get a good price. If not, we'll take him with us to the next place and spread the word… stroke of luck, this, but I wish we had more time… Well, I got to go wrap up the show… prepare the exotics."
The next hour was one of the craziest in Robin's life. The area around his cage was teeming with activity, and the first fifteen minutes Robin spent in the corner, huddled up and shaking. After a while, though, he noticed that no one really had time to bother him, they were all very busy. He recognized some of the people from the parade, but now his senses told him something startling. They weren't dressed up as animals, they where animals! Those ears, tails, feathers and scales were all real! Robin carefully got closer to the bars when a sniff of something made his hackles rise. Robin got surprised by that and felt his neck. True enough, his hair seemed to continue just a tad longer down his neck than it had used too, and those hairs were right now standing straight up, along with the ones on his now very puffy tail.
Sweet, no more hair-gel… he grinned to himself, but suddenly the object of his detest were in front of him.
Robin hissed. Dog!
The girl in her twenties, with obvious poodle features, looked back, surprised. A man, sporting a monkey tail and very long arms, came up to her and wound an arm around her. Twice.
"Don't take offence, Pricilla, he has just turned."
"Oh? Will he join us? He's cute!" The young woman said, stepping closer. Robin growled and tried to make himself look big. He realized that he was still on all fours, the cage wasn't high enough for him to stand up in, but that didn't really matter, getting to his feet right now was just too much of an effort.
"Nah, I don't think so… he's a cat... someone's gonna get their eyes scratched out before he's trained… if he'd been a tiger or something impressive… but a kitten? Nah, he'll get an owner soon."
"Yeah, maybe it's for the best… he looks scared…" the poodle-girl said. "He'll be a pet, then?"
"Yup… and if his master or mistress is into playing… he'll have a lot of fun…"
"What do you mean?" the girl asked, looking confused.
"Well, I've heard that the cats are worse than bunnies!"
"What did you say?" came a screeching voice from the back, and Robin could just make out a girl with long rabbit ears.
"I said cats are worse than bunnies!" the monkey shouted back, grinning.
"I warned you about those rabbit-jokes, Jake!" the bunny snorted and walked off, white fluffy tail flicking in annoyance.
Robin's instincts all screamed 'Prey!' when they saw the girl walking away, even though she was a lot taller than he was. His tail started flicking again.
Suddenly they all left and the tent got very empty. If he strained his ears, Robin could hear music, clapping and cheering, and he felt very alone. He had received a pile of hay in his cage and he curled up on that, tail tightly wound around him.
He must have managed to fall asleep, because suddenly he was awoken by an intake of breath.
"Oh, my."
"Now are you glad we went to the circus?"
Robin raised his head. In front of his cage stood two men. No, a man and an older teen. Their scents were somewhat familiar, but their faces weren't, something that confused Robin and made his ears twitch.
"Hello, Robin." the man said and leered down on him.
Robin's eyes went very wide and he hissed, pressing himself into the corner.
Slade!
"Oh, damn, that was cute!" the teen chuckled, and Robin's eyes snapped to him. That voice, that scent… Red X!
A pathetic growl escaped his throat, making the thief laugh harder.
"Excuse me, gentlemen, the viewing has not begun just yet." a voice from behind the villains said politely.
"Viewing?" Red X asked, arching a brow.
"For the sale? Oh, you didn't know?" the man said. It turned out to be the same man that the ringmaster had spoken to before. "This lovely young man just turned fifteen today and got his pet-shape. He's very pretty, isn't he? Is a cat what you are looking for?"
"It seems so…" Slade purred. The man had frowned deeply when the appointed sales man had mentioned selling the cat-boy. Now, that was not acceptable… unless it was to him, naturally.
"Fantastic. May I ask if you intend to keep him for show or for company?"
"Show?" Red X said, he was really not following the conversation.
"Good choice! He is still young, but his features speak of a great success as a show-pet. Just look at that face and that lean body! I know he currently wears a mask, but we haven't had the opportunity to remove it. The ears are a bit on the large side, but he'll grow into them. All pets his age looks a bit lanky, don't they? Actually there is a show in New York in about a month's time… have you considered entering him? There is a class for young male pets, and he could really do well there, I think."
Before the man had the opportunity to draw another breath to continue, Red X cut in.
"Actually, I was just asking what you meant by show?"
The man studied them both now, a bit suspiciously.
"You never owned a pet before?"
"Had a hamster when I was little…" Red murmured and shrugged.
"Well, there is a huge difference to owning a ferocitas! There are rules and regulations, after all…"
"How much?" Slade growled
"Excuse me?"
"How much for the cat?"
"Well... I… I couldn't let him go for less than a hundred thousand."
"Deal."
Robin could practically see the dollar signs in the man's eyes as he glanced up from the more important thing that occupied him at the moment. Red X had taken up a straw from the floor and had absentmindedly started running it across the bars of the cage. Simply irresistible. Robin slowly closed in and then launched himself at his target. Red X yelped in surprise and let go of the straw. It fell on the cage floor, where it got the thrashing of a lifetime from Robin's hands. As the thief discovered what had happened he burst out laughing again, and even Slade looked amused. Robin, though, looked up at them and narrowed his eyes. They weren't laughing at him were they?
"So, we're getting a pet…" Red X grinned as the circus man scurried off, to draw up the papers.
"We?" Slade asked, an eyebrow rising.
Red crossed his arms.
"Yes, we… because I know you, and if you get Robin all to yourself, there will be no more mercy-fucks for me when I don't get lucky… and besides, he's a hot little thing. Split the cost 50-50?"
"70-30." Slade said "And only because I need someone to keep an eye on him until I have figured this out."
"So you need a sitter? Well, just as long as you won't get up to anything fun without me…" Red pouted.
Robin looked from one to the other. He had a feeling that he should be studying their faces, but, somehow, those didn't seem as important as their scents. Red X smelled of the city, with a slight hint of explosives and hormones…. oh, and AXE shower gel… There was also the scent of hair-bleach that was quite old but stung Robin's nose a bit before he got used to it. Slade… Slade smelled of leather and metal, a hint of musky aftershave that made the base of Robin's tail tingle, gunpowder and blood.
Robin suddenly realized that he was dealing with two big males here, dominant males. He tried to look a little less threatening, although one might argue that he didn't look very threatening in the first place. He glanced up at them worriedly.
"Meaow?" he said, in his own mind very politely, and relaxed when both of the men smiled.
Robin was just going to try to say something else when the sales man appeared again.
"All the papers are in order and your credit checked out just fine, Mr. Wilson. He has yet to eat, so please feed him as you get home."
"What does he want…? Pizza?" Red X smirked and Robin's ears perked. He liked him better already.
"Oh, you simply can't feed your pet that junk, you'll ruin his figure!" the man looked appalled. "He should mainly have meat. It can be cooked, but his stomach should have been altered to be able to digest raw meat as well."
"Is there an owner's manual?" Red muttered under his breath.
The sales person flipped through some pages and suddenly frowned.
"Forgive me. This was rather rushed as he just turned today, but it seems we forgot to do the test for sexual preferences…"
"The what?" Red X snickered.
"Well, if you plan to breed him, or, as I believe you will, have him as company, it's always good to know. Wouldn't want to sell a male as a breeder if he's gay."
"And… how would this test be preformed?" Slade asked carefully.
"Yeah, will you like show him two kinds of magazines or something?" X wanted to know curiously.
"Oh, no, it's quite simple, and much more reliable… excuse me a moment."
The man returned a short while later holding two small plastic vials.
"These contain distilled male and female pheromones, very potent. Let's try the female one first."
He popped the lid off one of the vials and carefully stretched his arms through the bars towards Robin. The teen hero was suspicious, but he didn't think the man was out to hurt him. Especially not with the two big males there. He sniffed the vial carefully. His nose tingled and he sneezed, to the amusement of his audience.
"Err… well, not quite the reaction we were looking for… let's try the male one." the circus man said, blushing slightly. He repeated the process and this time Robin inhaled deeply. What was that wonderful smell? He had smelled it on the males in front of him as well, but this was so much more. He closed his eyes half way as he sniffed deeper. He also got closer to the men, completely forgetting them. Suddenly sniffing wasn't enough, and he opened his mouth, almost panting, trying to taste the scent as well. He could feel himself thickening between his legs and started rubbing the side of his face on the bars of the cage.
"I think that confirms it." the man said, recapping the vial to Robin's great disappointment. "He didn't seem completely averse to the female pheromone, though, so if you intend to breed him, it might be possible. Try to find another feline, though. Inter breeding species is seldom successful."
"Good to know." Slade said flatly.
"I suppose you don't have a cage ready?" the man then asked. "Not to worry, you can use this one… for an additional fee."
"We're supposed to keep him locked up?" Red sounded horrified, and maybe a bit disappointed at this.
"Only for the transport, naturally. When you do let him out, however, keep him in one room until he has socialized with you."
"Of course." Slade nodded.
The sales man sighed and smiled at Robin.
"Ah, they are so sweet at this age… runs more or less on instinct… but if you manage to bond with them this young you'll have a lifetime of devotion and love to look forward to… As soon as they start talking it get's harder, but of course the instinctual behavior is always there… depending on species, of course…"
Slade nodded a bit impatiently.
"Red, go see about borrowing a truck."
Red flashed him a grin. He would 'borrow' one all right… The parking lot seemed a good place to start.
Robin didn't like this. His cage had been covered up and was moving. He hissed, growled and yowled, but to no avail. What was happening?
"Don't worry kitten, we'll be home in a jiff…" he heard the smaller male, Red X, he suddenly remembered, say as the cage was put down and he heard doors slam shut.
The trip was a real nightmare.
"Were do we put him?" Red X's voice sounded strained as he and Slade carried the cage from the truck.
"The bedroom." Slade answered, and the thief snickered.
"You don't want to waste any time, do you?"
"No, it's because it has a lockable door and very few breakable things." Slade snorted. "I don't want him running wild in the whole building."
"Whatever." Red X still sounded amused.
When the covering came off, Robin sat perfectly still, only his eyes moving around the room quickly.
"I think we'll leave him alone in here for half an hour or so... he needs to calm down." Slade said. "Besides, you need to take the car back. We don't want anyone coming around to look for it. Pick up some food on your way back."
Red X just nodded and shrugged.
Robin's eyes grew big when Slade came up to the cage and opened the door.
"There. Come on." the man said, looking at him sternly.
Robin's panic grew. What, was he crazy? There was no way he would willingly go into a dominant male's territory! Nothing in the room smelled like him, it was all Slade… and a hint of Red X. No thanks, he would stay in the cage. At least that smelled like him. Slade didn't seem happy about it, though. Luckily the man just shook his head and turned to the thief.
"We'll leave him, then. He'll come around."
Red X stared at the cage in fascination.
"Have you any idea what happened? Suddenly someone spurts a tail and pointy ears and that guy didn't even seem surprised!"
"Must be a gypsy secret…" Slade muttered. "Ferocitas? Never heard of it… It's Latin, though… means 'untamed spirit' amongst other things, I think. See if you can find something out as you go back, I'll do some research here."
"Untamed, huh… does that mean we'll get to tame him?"
Both men looked down on Robin with very odd, smug expressions.
"I would think so…"
Robin muttered to himself, something that came out as a low chattering sound. He knew he was in trouble, but his mind was more occupied by his instinct towards the dominant males than his memories regarding them. Somehow Rex X stealing things and fighting with Slade was not as important how he was supposed to act around them to not get his throat ripped open. It had been quiet for a while, and Robin had started to relax. He still wouldn't leave the cage, though… no way.
It turned out he didn't have much of a choice, because half an hour later the men returned.
"Still not out, huh?" Red X said. "We didn't have to lock the door…"
"I didn't." Slade replied. "Considering he still has his belt and still haven't tried to open that puny lock, I guessed he wouldn't be able to figure out a door either."
"That will change, though…" Red cautioned him "I met some people back at the circus, and you wouldn't believe it… there were at least twenty of these weird morphs, all kinds of animals. And some of the guests had pets too… I even spoke to a few of the performers and they seemed as intelligent as anyone. They said that in the beginning they were pretty confused, all instincts and stuff like that sales man said, but they supposedly return to normal pretty quickly… some behavior stays though… I talked to a lizard who kept trying to smell me with his tongue…"
Slade nodded.
"I've found some information as well… Well hidden, high security… seems these 'ferocitas' are very highly valued. It appears to run in certain bloodlines all across the world… it's very fascinating."
"Valued? Yeah, 'cause they sell them or what?" Red X snorted.
"No, owning one is supposed to be an honor and they are usually very well taken care off. Some remain pets and some make a living in one of these shows or as trainers. We were in luck there, as only a selected few are allowed to buy them… guess the sales man made a mistake."
"Like you would leave him there…" Red X snorted.
"Maybe it was a lucky mistake… for him…" Slade nodded grimly. "Anyway, there are different kinds, apparently. Many are performers and some are pets… you heard about the 'pet-show'? Well, that's one part of it. Apparently there are more perks involved to owning a pet."
"What? Chewed up furniture?"
"No… pets have natural… urges… and most are very willing to please." Slade smirked. "Unfortunately, Robin here turned into a cat… had he been a dog… well… it would have been easier… They are supposed to be very easy to train… cats are more… spirited."
"Well, I like cat's better." Red X smiled at Robin whose ears perked up a bit.
"Me to. Now, let's get started. You. Out."
Robin stared up at the man who had given him the command. Na-ha, he didn't think so. Slade frowned and simply lifted one side of the cage, making Robin tumble out on the floor in a heap.
The cat-boy became frantic. He needed a place to hide, and his instincts told him that the higher up, the better. Before he had time to get away, however, Slade grabbed the back of his neck. Robin's body went limp.
"Shit, did you kill him?" Red X exclaimed.
Slade just chuckled.
"No, I read up on cats as well. Kittens have this natural reflex to hold still when the female carries them by the scruff of their necks… seems Robin do as well. It might come in handy."
Robin couldn't do a thing as he was dragged over to the bed.
"Try to hold him while I remove his belt. I wouldn't want him to set off any of those exploding devices in here…" Slade told Red. The thief sat down on the bed and dragged Robin to him. Unable to keep his fingers away, he started feeling Robin's ears.
Robin closed his eyes. That felt niiiiice… a deep rumbling sound started up somewhere deep in his throat.
"He's purring!" Red X exclaimed. "How cool is that?"
Slade had removed Robin's belt and his boots, along with cape and gloves.
"Just don't lose that grip." the man warned and he reached out for the boy's mask.
Big, cool blue eyes blinked lazily up at him.
"Nah, it's okay… we're friends now…" Red X said and changed his grip.
Robin still enjoyed the petting, leaning into the touch, when suddenly a warning light went on in his head. What the hell was he doing? He had to get away!
"Owww! He scratched me!" Red X yelled as Robin twisted out of his grip. Robin ran over to his cage, moving fluently half on two feet, half on all fours. He tried to get into it, to safety, but Slade had closed the door and in his panicked state Robin couldn't even find it. Something registered with him, though, and he looked down at his hands. His nails had turned to claws. As he watched they retracted and then appeared again. Cool. Then something else became clear. He had scratched one of the males… Robin spun around on his knees. Shit, he was so dead!
They didn't seem to be attacking, though, even if Red glared a bit in his direction. Slade only chuckled.
"I told you to hold him." the man said. "Go get that cleaned up and then bring the food. Our pet is probably hungry."
Food. That word really stood out, and Robin's stomach rumbled. He was starving! The older teen left, but now the large male moved towards him, and Robin covered.
Slade crouched on the floor in front of him.
"There, Robin. Take it easy. Come."
Robin glared as much as he dared.
"Do you understand me? Nod if you do."
Robin closed his eyes in concentration and then nodded shortly.
"Good. Do you know who we are?"
Robin nodded again and even dared to hiss softly.
Slade chuckled.
"Excellent. We won't hurt you, Robin, not if you're a good boy. Now come to me."
Robin managed to shake his head.
"What's going on?" Red X came through the door.
"We have established that he knows who we are and the difference between yes and no."
"Improvement." X grinned.
Robin measured them both up. The teen was less scary, but the man clearly the dominant one… and it was important, no critical, to be on the leader's good side. The fact that the man was Slade, though… His nose suddenly picked up a mouthwatering scent. Slade was opening a package wrapped in aluminum foil, and then held out a juicy, hot steak towards him.
"Hungry? Come here…" the man said in a low, deep voice.
Robin came a bit closer. He was just so hungry, and… he tried to swipe it with his claws, but the damn man snatched it away.
"No. Baaaad boy. Come here."
The 'bad boy' comment somehow managed to hurt Robin's feelings.
He gathered some courage. The dominants clearly offered him food. This didn't make sense to him, since according to his instincts, they should eat their fill first and he might, perhaps, get some scraps… anyway, they had food and were willing to give it away. Robin caved.
After trying to get the whole thing away from Slade again, and failing, Robin started nipping at the steak. When it wasn't pulled away, and no one seemed to mind, he took larger bites.
"Look, he got little fangs…" he heard the teen coo, but ignored him. He had his mouth full of food, damnit!
A hand suddenly touched his head and he tensed. It just lay there, though, so after a moment Robin started eating again. The hand moved, slightly, scratching him behind his ear. Still felt good. When the steak was gone, however, Robin sat back, away from the hand. He licked his mouth, and tried to get clean by wiping it with the back of his hand. That got his hand dirty, though, so he licked that clean as well.
"Good boy…" Slade purred, making Robin feel better. "Now, Red, I think it's time for you to leave."
"What? He's mine too!"
"Partly… and I haven't seen those thirty grand yet, have I?" Slade smirked, knowing full well that the kid didn't have the money. He was just barely not living on the streets, even though he was a brilliant thief. Keeping his costume and gadgets working cost money, as X didn't have the skills to do it himself. "Besides, I don't plan to do anything more to him tonight than to get him to understand who's the boss. You can join in tomorrow."
"Fuck me."
"Shouldn't that be 'fuck you?'" Slade asked dryly.
"No. I'm horny. Fuck me." Red X said, crossing his arms. "Robin or you, either way you're sharing." the teen glanced at Robin, who looked very confused. "Besides, I would rather have those claws used on someone who heals faster, until he can be trusted."
Slade shrugged and started to unbutton his shirt.
"As you wish." he chuckled, and Robin's nose twitched as the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed. Somehow the air got thicker, more… potent, and very intriguing scents started radiating from the two bodies in front of him. Robin scuttled back some, watching, wide eyed, as clothes began to fall. He knew he should have been embarrassed, but couldn't tear his eyes away.
Red X had pulled his t-shirt over his head and fell to his knees in front of Slade, pulling at both their belts simultaneously. He was glad they wore civilian clothes; so much easier to get off. He pulled the man's jeans down, finding him half hard inside his boxers. The underwear followed immediately after. Red knew it would be rough and fast. Slade wasn't much of a cuddler, and only took it really slow with him as a perverse form of punishment. Red preferred it this way. He opened his mouth and ran his tongue all over the rising cock, watching it turning darker as it was filled with blood. He almost always went down on Slade, simply as a precaution. He knew the man would, probably, use lube, but you could never be completely sure… especially since he had practically demanded sex. Now, at least, he wouldn't be fucked completely dry.
Robin's mouth was slightly open. He was starting to ooze out the strange scent himself, and was slightly worried that the others would smell it. And slightly worried that they wouldn't. It didn't occur to him that the men didn't have his senses, they should, since they were higher in rank, right? His hand went between his legs without Robin noticing and started rubbing and pulling at the already torn fabric until it started to come away. He was panting, getting hard, and his eyes were still glued to the men in front of him.
Slade grunted, a sign that he should pull back, and Red did, trailing his tongue up the man's ripped stomach to his chest, flicking it over a nipple. He was roughly pushed away then, towards the bed.
"Get the lube. Hurry if you want it." the man growled, and Red did, practically diving for the bedside table. Stumbling on his pants, he quickly tore them off completely.
Robin's hands had mimicked the movement of the thieves tongue, going to his own chest. He gasped as his whole stomach and chest suddenly became sensitive. His claws emerged and got caught up in the fabric as he pulled away, leaving a tear that let the cool air in to tickle his sensitive skin. It felt so good that Robin made short work of the rest of his top, leaving it in tatters as his fingers played over his chest. He gasped as he felt several small bumps in a row, going up from his stomach to his chest, and looked down. He saw his nipples, as expected, but more than two… he had eight! The new ones were not much more than small pink bumps but they tingled very nicely when touched.
Red crawled onto the bed on all fours and quickly prepared himself with the lube, it wasn't likely that Slade would do it. The man usually fucked him from behind, preferably bent over a table or in some other rather painful position, but Red accepted it, even welcomed it. It was just the way it was supposed to be. He gasped as his hips were grabbed and something blunt pushed between his cheeks.
Robin's hips bucked as he watched Slade about to mount his partner. Their scents were driving him crazy, and he slowly edged closer until he found himself next to the bed.
Red cried out as Slade thrust forward, but the pain quickly faded as he was filled up. The man set a quick pace, and Red closed his eyes and arranged himself so the man's cock met his pleasure spot at each stroke. He thought it would be over quickly and started stroking himself, preparing for the finale. He was surprised as Slade suddenly pulled his shoulder up towards himself so Red was now standing on his knees alone, back pressed against Slade's chest. The man pulled his hand away, and Red groaned. What was this? He wasn't allowed to come? That was cruel, even for Slade.
"Look…" The man whispered in his ear and Red cracked an eye open, moaning at a very erotic sight. Robin had come crawling up onto the bed, clothes in shreds, and very noticeably aroused. The cat made low, almost purring, noises as he carefully edged closer. Slade continued to drive into Red, pretending not to be aware of the audience, but Red X sure was. Robin had gotten up very close to him now, and had noticed a bead of sweat running down his chest. Red almost came when a long, slightly rough, tongue slipped out and swiped it up.
"Ahhh… god, he's…!"
"Shhh… let him…" Slade whispered, still fucking him hard and fast.
Robin's senses overloaded by the taste of the pheromones in the young males sweat. He wanted more, and started to lick and nip at the skin, guided lower by the more interesting smells from the teen's crotch. He had barely swiped his tongue once over Red X's cock, though, when the teen cried out as he came, splattering Robin's face and chest with cum. Robin licked his lips where a white drop had landed, and closed his eyes in bliss. He could smell the larger male coming as well, and then they both startled him by collapsing on the bed. Robin crawled back against the headboard, but his very aching need made him whimper softly.
"Come here… I'll make it better…" Slade called him softly and Robin slowly obeyed. Red was still on his knees, but had fallen forward on his lower arms, panting. Robin sniffed him as he crawled passed, growling low in his throat in pure lust. Slade chuckled and started stroking the boy's neck and jaw as soon as he was close enough.
"You liked that? Want to try?" Slade carefully removed himself from his partner and pulled a startled cat-boy over, turned him around into position and pushed Robin's hips forward suggestively. Robin's world was turned upside down. Was the man really going to allow him to mount his mate? Someone higher in rank than him? At another push on his hips, the weeping end of his cock came in contact with Red's slippery entrance and Robin's mind went blank.
Red yelped as he unexpectedly was filled again.
"Slade, what the hell! Take him off!" he protested and struggled to a half sitting position. He never expected the lithe cat to be that strong, though, and he certainly didn't expect the sharp bite on his back of his neck.
As he cried out, Slade merely chuckled again.
"He's holding you by the neck, like male cats tend to do while mating to keep their partners still… interesting…"
"Well, then let him bite you- ouch!"
"I would suggest you be a good boy and stay still." Slade said dryly.
Red X had found that out by himself, however, and not only because of the sharp teeth. Damn, the kid could fuck! His hips were moving like a jackhammer, and Red had now started to more than enjoy it.
Robin slowly blinked his eyes open only about ten minutes later. He felt dizzy, tired and very, very satisfied. He wasn't sure why the thing that happened had happened, but he liked it. A lot.
"Come on, time for a shower." Slade was suddenly there and hoisted him to his feet, a hand loosely on his neck if Robin should struggle. The boy was a bit too occupied by good feelings to do that, though. He looked around the room, searching.
"Red, left. Don't worry, he'll be back tomorrow…" Slade added as he saw Robin's disappointed pout.
The shower was great. Robin had a feeling that he shouldn't like water, but the pleasure of being clean overcame the initial discomfort. Slade was helping him, and Robin let the man touch him. He understood, now, that the man was merely marking him with his own scent, and that calmed him down. Afterwards Slade patted him dry with a big soft towel and made Robin purr again. To his astonishment the man even allowed him to sleep in his bed, tightly curled up next to him, and Robin was asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.
Awaking sometime in the middle of the night, Robin groaned as he realized that his very full bladder wouldn't let him sleep another minute. He made his way to the bathroom, wearily noted that it didn't really look quite right, and relieved himself. He stumbled back to bed, his unconscious firing warning signals that his sleepy mind ignored and collapsed onto the bed. He was out as a light immediately.
Robin woke up to a much clearer world. He didn't know it, but his brain had finally learned how to deal with the sensory overload, and his mind wasn't a beehive anymore. It was a good thing to have a clear head as you woke up lying across your arch enemy. All of Robin's limbs pushed off from the bed and the body beneath him at the same time, catapulting him into the air. Halfway he twisted his body, landed on his feet and started running. Pity Slade had a good grip on his tail. He was stopped with a painful jolt, and swore loudly.
"Ah, the wonderful gift of language… and so delicately used."
Robin twisted around and Slade just barely avoided losing his only eye to Robin's claws.
"Stop!"
Robin froze as if he had been slapped. Slade's words had gone straight into his head, blocking everything else, and the man had plenty of time to grab Robin's neck. He didn't go completely limp now, but he didn't start struggling. Slade pushed him down on the bed.
"Stay."
"I'm not a dog!" Robin snarled, crawling back against the headboard.
"No. You're not."
"I… I…" Robin ran a hand over his new ears, memories emerging. "I'm a frickin' CAT! What the hell did you do, Slade?"
"I am, for once, actually innocent… this was in your blood…"
"Yeah, 'cause you wouldn't know about things in the blood, would you?" Robin snorted.
"I'll let you read my research when you have cooled down." Slade said calmly.
Robin snorted again and folded his arms, sitting back against the headboard.
At that moment Red walked it.
"Breakfast! Any hungry kittens?" he stopped and looked from one to the other. "Whoooo… I'm a bit overdressed, aren't I?"
Robin had no idea what he meant at first, as the thief wore a tattered washed-out t-shirt and ratty jeans, but then he noticed the leer. He looked over at Slade. He looked down. He quickly pulled up the covers to his crotch. He had been naked… and Slade had… naked… in the same room… in the same bed… Robin then rediscovered his multiple nipples and yanked up the covers to his chin. Mortified didn't even begin to describe it. The worst, though, was the tingling feeling down below that had started with the thoughts of the two of them naked in bed together, and which only intensified as he glanced over at Slade. Feeling the mother of all blushes starting to build, Robin's ears drooped.
"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" he asked, pleadingly.
They did.
Robin didn't believe them.
They showed him the papers and the research.
Robin yelled at them for some time.
Then Robin remembered what had happened with Red X last night, and the blush exploded over his entire body.
"I…I… did… did I rape you?"
Red X swallowed a laugh, and pretended to be serious.
"No, you didn't. Slade did. Using you as a middle man… Rape by third party… rather strange crime, huh?"
"I'm sorry." Robin said brokenly, and Red threw the serious mask away.
"Don't be. It was great!" he grinned, flopping down on the foot of the bed. "Besides, this only means you owe me one, right?"
Robin's eyes grew big and he glanced over at Slade, who still hadn't had the decency to dress.
"You… you are going to…?" Robin couldn't bring himself to say it. He could read it in their eyes, though, and he remembered the leers, the lust in the air and the hints from the night before.
"You'll like it." Red X promised.
"No!"
"We might try some catnip-"
"No!" Robin cried again, crawling even further back. "No drugs! Don't drug me!" He didn't want to lose control, he could picture himself drugged out of his mind and completely at their mercy. "Please! I… I'll do what you want, but… no drugs… please?" Tears were prickling the corners of his eyes, and he looked up at Slade, pleadingly. He was the alpha, he would decide.
Red X muttered something and got off the bed.
"I can't do it to him when he looks like that… I thought he would be willing… If you have the heart, Slade, go ahead, but if you do, I'm out. For good."
Slade stepped closer to the bed, making Robin tense and tremble. He didn't care that the man was alpha, why did he even THINK in those terms? He would fight, until… until…
"As your owners we have certain responsibilities. Rape is not one of them." Robin relaxed some, but then the man stepped even closer, towering over him, and continued. "However, I'm convinced that you will change your mind… your instincts might be kept in check now, but they are still there… ready to spring to the surface…"
"No." Robin said tensely, "And you do not own me!" Why did that damn naked man have to come so close anyway? Had he no shame? Not that he had anything to be ashamed o- No! Bad kitty!
"Oh? Let me demonstrate…" Slade was suddenly practically on top of him, pulling him close. Robin dug his claws deep into the man's arms in panic, trying to push him off. Slade, however, just held him tighter, and Robin felt hot breath over his neck, before it was replaced by lips and tongue.
He's… my throat… naked… bared throat… Robin gasped, arching back, and then Slade's lips were on his, the man's tongue easily gaining entrance. Robin made a keening noise as a hand slid down his chest, grazing one whole row of nipples.
Suddenly the touches disappeared and Robin opened his eyes in confusion.
"What…? Why…?"
"It was only a demonstration, kitten. Let us know when you are ready for more."
Robin glared, panting heavily. He hadn't even noticed that the covers had been pulled down again.
"I'm… I'm…" As he didn't know quite what to say, and really didn't want to give in to his strongest craving, he went with the second one. "I'm hungry."
"At your service, oh cat!" Red X made a mock bow and held up the bag he had been carrying.
Robin was bold enough to snatch it, and did it so fast that X had to count his fingers afterwards. Tearing into it he found ribs and chicken wings, which made his mouth water. He greedily ate everything except the bones, spitting them out as he had ripped the meat off. As he finished, Robin felt a lot more content.
"Man, you're a pig!" Red X exclaimed.
Robin looked up and saw the messy result of his breakfast, and then shrugged.
"No, I'm a cat… you clean up." he said and started leisurely licking his fingers clean.
Slade chuckled at Red's expression. The man had finally managed to find a pair of black jeans, Robin noted, but that was all.
"It seems that since topping you, Robin considers himself higher in rank."
Both teens spluttered in denial until Slade made a calming gesture.
"That's just a theory. Might be just attitude."
"And why? Shouldn't he be all 'bout 'devotion and love' or whatever that sales-guy said?"
"That is true…" Slade said and frowned in thought. "Robin doesn't seem particularly devoted to us, does he?"
Robin just snorted loudly and glared. Devoted? To them? A little bit turned on, perhaps, but- he quickly killed that trail of thought.
"Well, he said that thing about bonding to the pet… you think we should have fucked him?" Red asked.
Robin hissed.
"I'm not entirely sure that the bonding he spoke of is sexual in nature…" Slade mused. "I have only been able to find vague references… it seems to be a well protected secret."
"Good!" Robin growled. "Because there will be no 'bonding', so forget it!"
"I think it's too late for that anyway." Slade sounded a bit regretful. "It should probably have been taken place very soon after the change or sell. You are lucky, you know, you could have been on your way to the other side of the planet by now. Sold to someone who actually knew about the bonding."
Robin studied the two of them. Lucky? Really? He had to see about that. A question had been burning on his tongue for some time, and he really wanted to change the topic.
"So… are you two an item, or what?" he asked, quenching the little flare of jealousy that ignited.
Slade snorted and Red X laughed.
"No, we are just… acquaintances…" he grinned.
"Sure, and last night just happened? I can smell you in here, Red. You sleep together."
"Sleep? With Slade? No way! One might wake up dead!" X grinned now. "He fucks me now and then, that's all… Ever heard of 'fuck buddies?"
Slade snorted again, making clear what he thought about being labeled a 'buddy'.
Robin narrowed his eyes at them, but they both seemed sincere for once. He nodded.
Besides, he had slept with Slade… not Red. Him.
"Why? Jealous, kitten?" Red smirked.
It was Robin's turn to snort.
His tail was twitching.
"So what are you planning to do to me?" he asked, not sure he wanted an answer.
"If you had changed outside the circus, what would you have done?" Slade asked, looking at him very intently.
"Easy." Robin said. "I'm a Titan. I fight filth like you."
Slade seemed offended, Red merely looked amused.
"So you would rejoin your friends?"
"Of course!" Robin looked at the man like he was crazy. "So, I got a tail now! That just means I'm a Meta just… like… them…" his eyes became round as he realized that. A Meta-human! He had powers! Well… sort of… claws, at least! He was no longer only human!
"And you think that would work out?" Slade asked, calmly.
"What? Yes of course it would! It would be great!"
"I would like to see that." Slade purred.
"Well, get me a pair of pants and you will!" Robin smirked.
Ten minutes later Robin was pulling on a pair of Red X's jeans, left at Slade's place in case of an emergency. Red was currently having a very loud discussion with Slade.
"You are going to let him leave? Just like that? And- Robin, what the hell are you doing?!"
Robin looked up guiltily and retracted the claw that had been tearing through the jeans' backside.
"I had to… they crushed my tail…" he mumbled.
"Those were practically new!" Red wailed. Seeing Robin's dubious look he added. "Well, practically!"
"I'll get you a new pair, okay?" Robin said. He himself was very confused about the whole thing, he had really expected to be forced to break out of here somehow.
"Designer?" Red asked.
"Whatever you want." Robin shrugged. Not that the jeans he was currently wearing was a brand name… they would probably not even be allowed to be called jeans in a court of law.
"Oooohhhh…. seems kitty's loaded…" Red grinned.
"Yeah, so you should be nice to me…" Robin smirked back, looking worriedly down on his shredded costume. "Err… a shirt?"
"Only if-"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll take you shopping; I just want to get out of here!" Robin snarled. He was starting to feel stressed again. A t-shirt hit him in the face. Red had given him the one he was wearing, and, before realizing it, Robin deeply inhaled its scent. Mmmmm…
"About that…" Slade started, smirking as he noted the boy's behavior, "There are, of course, a couple of requirements for you to fulfill before you do."
"Like what?" Robin asked suspiciously, tail twisting from side to side.
"You will wear a tracking device at all times and you will agree to be blindfolded as you leave, so you can't lead your little friends back here."
Robin's ears flattened out against his skull. He didn't like the tracking-device thing. Not at all. He really wanted to leave, though.
"Okay. Put it in my belt."
Slade returned with a small, metal disk and attached it to the insides of one of the pockets.
"There. If you need help, just snap it in half." the man said.
Robin gaped. What was that all about? Red seemed to think the same thing, and Slade noticed the questioning looks.
"Well, we are being irresponsible enough, to let our pet run around unsupervised…" Slade smirked.
Robin snorted. He had found his cape, boots and gloves, all more or less undamaged. His gloves were ripped at the fingertips, though, thanks to his claws. He needed to do some changes to his costume, that much was clear… At the end he found his mask as well, and shot Red an Slade a fearful glance. Had they recognized him? Was his secret out? There had been no comments suggesting this, however… And, come to think of it, he had seen their faces as well. He concentrated, committing them to memory. Slade's white hair, strangely ageless face, short goatee and eye patch would stand out anywhere, while Red X looked like a normal street rat of a teen with longish hair bleached almost white with black roots, a wide often smiling mouth and glittering blue-gray eyes. They both looked rather nice, actually, but Robin pretended he never had come to that conclusion.
"Ready to leave us, kitten?" Slade asked.
"Oh, yes…" Robin growled.
"Well, then, come here."
The man held up a wide strip of black cloth, and Robin hesitantly moved forward. He tried to keep his now rather puffy tail under control, but it was like his new appendix had a will of its own. Coming up to stand in front of Slade, Robin looked up at the man as he started to fasten the blindfold. Robin felt completely vulnerable and he hated it. Him being in this situation was not, strictly speaking, their fault, however… Slade had been right; he could have ended up in a worse situation if it weren't for them… and now they were even letting him go… Robin felt a small pang of gratitude, and relaxed a little bit. Everything would be okay…
They took him out into something that sounded like the city early in the morning. Robin could hear echoes from big buildings and sniffed the air. They were by the waterfront, and the smell of smoked fish made his mouth water. There was only one place that smoked fish in the city… Robin stopped himself from grinning. He knew where he was! Well… he knew which part of town, at least.
They drove him around for half an hour, going in circles until Robin almost felt nauseous. Then they suddenly stopped.
"Almost there." Robin heard Slade say, as he was helped out from the backseat. He was then walked a bit, before they stopped again. "You can find your way home from here…"
"Thanks." he said quietly. It almost hurt, but, well… Slade had earned it, he guessed.
"Don't miss us too much, Robin…" The man purred, and Robin gasped as his head was tilted back and the man's lips met his.
As they separated, Robin didn't even have time to object before another pair took over.
"You can always break the tracker, kitten…" Red X chirped as the kiss ended.
Suddenly everything went quiet, and Robin stood completely still, until he reached up and removed the blindfold. He blinked, getting his eyes used to the added light. He was in an alley, and a little way away he could hear a busy street where a car was just starting up. He followed the sound, and although the car was long gone, Robin smiled as he entered the road. He was only five minutes from the Tower.
In the car, Slade was getting another earful from X.
"All I'm saying is that he was coming around! Hell, I bet he would have let us at least make out with him tonight! Sure, we couldn't like keep him locked up in there forever, but now… man, we're probably not even gonna see him again… not without the other brats anyway…"
"On the contrary, Red…" Slade chuckled. "I have a feeling we'll see him again soon enough… give it a week. Trust me."
Exactly one week later, Red X was climbing a tree. This was not something he did that often, especially not when the tree in question stood in the middle of the city park, nowhere near any tantalizing open windows. Furthermore the branches were getting thinner and thinner, which was the reason Slade couldn't do this. Reaching his goal he took a couple of deep breaths.
"You called?"
The huddled shape on the next branch didn't answer, only clinging tighter to the trunk.
"Hey, Robin, I didn't just risk my life playing the hero to get the silent treatment! What's up?"
"… can't get down…" came a quiet reply.
"What?" Red looked down the tree and over at the cat boy again. "But… there are branches almost all the way!"
"… can't…" Robin mumbled.
Red sighed. Okay, he had seen this phenomenon before. Cat's getting stuck in trees. Nothing strange about that… maybe he should call the fire brigade? The question, however, was…
"So how did you end up here anyway?"
Robin's tail jerked, and then just hung there, looking sad.
"…"
"What did you say?" Red said.
"…dog…"
"What?"
"A bloody dog chased me up the tree!" Robin hissed, glaring at him.
Don't laugh-don't laugh-don't laugh! Red X bit the inside of his cheek hard.
"Oh. A… Doberman or something? I've been chased up a tree by those once or twice myself… nothing to worry about!"
"…"
"Pardon?"
"Bichon Frisé."
"What? Those fluffy white things?" Don't laugh-don't laugh-don't laugh!
Red didn't trust himself to say anything more for a while, and his kitten didn't seem to want to chat either.
After a few minutes, though, the branch was getting uncomfortable.
"So… Why didn't you call the Titans? They would have you out here in a jiff…" Red said, trying to figure out how to get the kid down.
"So they could see how useless I am? Again?" Robin snarled, ending with something close to a whine.
Red X frowned. The leader of the Titan's didn't whine! Not from being stuck in a tree, anyway… Something must have happened, but this wasn't quite the place.
"Come on, I'll get you down."
"… no… stuck…"
"Hey, you've seen many cat-skeletons in trees? They all get down. Now start climbing before I push you!"
Robin shook his head, and hid his face against the trunk.
"Slade's down there. He'll laugh at you." Red X threatened.
This made Robin's ears twitch. Apparently there was some pride left in the poor soul.
"Look, I start climbing and you follow… I'll catch you if you fall…" Red X said, knowing fully well that that was bullshit. There was no way he was going to be able to catch a falling Robin without falling himself, but the cat bought it… After about eight feet, Robin was gaining confidence and soon skimmed down the trunk like it was nothing. Red grunted and by the time he reached the ground, Robin was preening himself with the help of the reflection in Slade's armor. When Slade coughed, Robin immediately tried to pretend he hadn't, though. He shot the thief a glance.
"What took you so long?"
Red wasn't like Slade. He didn't have a lot of patience. He therefore surprised himself then he didn't strangle the blasted cat right then and there.
"Well I'll be going now…" Robin said and started to stroll away.
"Look out! The dog!" Red yelled, and suddenly Slade had an armful of frantic cat to deal with.
Robin clung to the man, looking around hysterically, until he heard Red laughing. He looked over and saw the teen leaning against a tree, having trouble breathing through the laughter.
Robin started struggling to get out of Slade's arms and claw some sense into the little rat, but he found himself trapped.
"You are not going anywhere… not until we've talked."
Half an hour later Robin was pacing the same bedroom he left a week ago, agitatedly twisting the blindfold the pair had made him use again, in his hands. Slade and Red X had convinced him to spill the beans, and now he found it hard to stop talking.
"They all just acted like something terrible had happened…" he growled. "Raven went to the circus immediately, but they had already left by then, and no one seems to have seen them since! She has tried everything to turn me back, but nothing works… it's simply… who I am! Anyway, I thought they would be fine with it when they got used to it, but then… then I started to mess up…"
"Like for example?" Slade asked. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, while Red was sprawled out on the bed. They both had changed into civilian clothes, as those where more practical and seemed to help Robin relax.
"Like… like… I started rubbing my head against everything…" Robin muttered.
"What? Why?" Red snickered.
"Scent marking his territory. Cats have glands in their chin areas." Slade answered. "Feel lucky you didn't urinate, Robin."
Robin shuddered.
"Might as well have… they all looked at me like I was crazy… But the worst thing was the missions…" Robin hesitated and turned a bit flushed. He glanced over at the thief on the bed.
"Well?" Slade said.
"He'll laugh!" Robin complained, pointing at Red.
"I won't! I won't!" Red promised, and tried to concentrate very hard on looking sincere.
"Well… it was this guy, right… robbing the bank… and we was about to stop him when… when… the wind caught a few dollar bills and… and I chased them…"
"Yeah, I saw that on TV, that was hilarious!" Red grinned, and then very quickly tried to school his features back to a blank mask, after a look from Slade.
"The only reason we caught the guy was that he tripped on my tail!" Robin complained. "I have the attention-span of a … of a cat! And.. and my friends… every time BB turns into a small animal I try to pounce on him, Starfire looks at me like she wants to keep me on a leash, like… like I'm an animal and… do I look that hideous?" Robin asked, staring pleadingly at the older males.
"Oh, get a grip, kid, you're the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen…" Red X snorted.
Slade nodded.
"You are by no definition ugly, Robin. Don't believe that for a moment." he tried to reassure the hero. Slade saw the look in Robin's eyes soften somewhat, but there was still something there… something important… now, who hadn't the Titan mentioned?
"What about your next in command? Cyborg?" Slade asked. The flinch and the drooping ears told him he'd hit the jackpot.
"Yeah, it's not like he was born that way, right? Unless his mum was a toaster…? Damn, that must have been a one hell of a hot and deadly one night stand…" Red chuckled.
"Well, he… he was pretty cool at first…" Robin started. "He got really angry when I ripped the seats in the T-car, though, but I was just trying to hold on… s'not my fault he drives like a maniac… But then I started screwing up the missions and… and today he came to me and said…" Robin took a deep, shaky breath. "He said he and the others thought it was best if I stayed in the Tower from now on… you know… desk duty… until I've learned to control myself…" Robin looked at his feet for a moment and then looked back up, his eyes burning. "But I've really tried! I have! I've been training harder than ever, but I keep falling asleep in warm places and climb trees and scratch at the walls! No one wants to throw ping-pong balls to me, BB keeps turning into a dog just for laughs and-and no one wants to cuddle!" Robin exclaimed. "And I don't even understand why I want to cuddle!"
Robin cried out in surprise as he was suddenly pulled down on the bed.
"I'll cuddle with you, kitten…" Red X grinned. To his amazement, Robin didn't even try to scratch him, just curled up closer. "Let's get this thing off you… not being able to see your eyes drives me crazy…" Red murmured and pulled the mask off. Robin didn't object now either. Red considered this a good thing and continued with the boy's belt. His costume had changed slightly, he noted.
"Hey, where's your cape?"
"It irritated my tail… Thought about shortening it, but that looked silly…" Robin murmured.
"And your gloves? And shoes?"
"Claws. Got them on my feet to… besides, my soles are much tougher now, so I don't need shoes, really… they get in the way…"
The bed dipped and Robin gasped a bit as Slade stretched out against his back, but the two pair of hands soon got him purring.
"How about this, Robin…" Slade started. "We'll help you train. What do you think?"
"You'll… you'll do that for me?" Robin started and then jerked as Slade's fingers found a spot at the base of his tail. Robin moaned and bucked his hips, pressing back against the man. "Oh! I… oh, don't stop!"
Red looked at Slade questioningly over Robin's shoulder and got a nod. Go ahead. Red grinned hungrily and started pushing Robin's top up.
"I wonder why it is," Slade whispered, to distract the teen between them, "that though domestic cats are fiercely independent, they still crave human touch… they seek it out… demand it…"
Robin sighed and lifted his arms, letting Red slide his top off.
"Don't know… don't care…" he murmured, even the purr hitching in his throat as the thief started to play with his nipples, teasing each and everyone in turn with fingers and lips. Slade, in the meanwhile, had started sliding his hands down into Robin's tights, slowly pulling them down.
"I… I know what you are doing…" Robin claimed, trying, and failing, to sound in control.
"Don't worry kitten," Red X said, looking up at him, "we'll make this all about you."
Slade chuckled in Robin's ear, the vibrations of the sound tingling over the sensitive silky fur there.
"My, my, Red… should I be concerned for your health? Do you have a fever?" Slade asked wryly, smirking.
The thief merely muttered something about 'once in a blue moon'.
It was tiring, lying on his side, and Robin slowly turned over on his back, taking a moment to study his two 'owners'. He trusted them as far as he could through them, which in Slade's case meant almost not at all, but they had promised to help… he had been so disappointed in his friends over the last week, at their distance, their lack of understanding… the way they looked at him like he was a hindrance. He had expected him to be more accepting, be happy for him… laugh with him at his little quirks, not at him… Instead he had felt more alone than ever.
Robin closed his eyes as two sets of hands and lips continued to play over his body like it was a sensitive instrument. As lips reached the side of his head he willingly turned his head until his lips met the other's pair.
"Lift your hips, Robin…"
Slade's dark voice. That meant the one kissing him was Red.
Ahhh… brilliant deduction…Robin thought ironically. He did as the man asked, though, and within moments he was naked, as Slade slid his pants all the way down. His partners, however, were still fully clothed, which seemed, to Robin, very unfair. Red was closest, and so, his tee was turned to shreds with the nimble help of sharp claws.
"Hey! That's-" Red started, breaking the kiss.
"I'll buy you ten new ones…" Robin growled and pulled the boy back down. As the thief needed air a moment later, Robin turned his gaze to Slade. The man was balancing on his elbow, which meant that when Robin hurled himself at him, he promptly tipped over on his back, with the now not so domesticated cat boy on top of him, tearing into his shirt. After turning that too into sad little slivers, Robin deeply inhaled, tasting the scent of the large male.
Man! He reminded himself, Man, not male. He's not an animal. I'M not an animal!
Sniffing wasn't enough, though, and Robin slowly lowered his head and carefully swiped his tongue over the exposed flesh on the man's chest. Slade gasped.
"Told you it was special…" Red snickered
"It's… rough…" Slade said in wonder.
Robin stopped.
"It… it hurts?"
"No! No, kitten it's not that rough… it feels… please continue…"
Robin smiled. He was pretty sure no one had made Slade lose his cool in bed for a very long time, and especially not by a few licks to his chest, and Red's strangled snickers confirmed it.
Robin got bolder now and scooted down a bit, licking and nibbling on every square inch of flesh. He lingered at the nipples, because he loved the noises Slade desperately tried to stifle, and then the hard planes of the man's stomach, because they fascinated him so. As he moved down, though, he had come in contact with Slade's crotch, and the hardness in the man's pants had frightened him a little. He had moved lower so the arousal now pressed into his stomach. It felt a bit safer that way.
Red was by his side, having taken a moment to get naked himself, and, having found the same spot above his tail that Slade had, he used it to his full advantage. When he saw the kitten hesitate, he reached over and placed a hand on the covered hardness.
"Feels good, kitten… wanna feel? No claws, though..."
Robin hesitantly ran a hand over the bulge.
"Curious? Want to see?" Red grinned, as Robin's ears perked forward and he sniffed the air again.
Robin was curious. He had seen it before, naturally, but that first night he had been focused on their smells, mostly, and never got a close look… and the morning after, it… it hadn't been hard… He licked his lips and nodded, but didn't move an inch.
Red figured that he had to help things along. He nimbly popped the top button on Slade's jeans, and then, slowly, started to pull the zipper down. He knew Slade hadn't bothered with underwear as they both had changed pretty quickly, but he planned that to be a surprise for Robin. He glanced up at Slade, who smirked at him. The man had kept perfectly still and silent, trying not to spook the jittery teen.
"Why don't you come closer, kitten?" he said. "Want to take a sniff?" The zipper was halfway down by now, and nothing was really visible except for a thickening trail of hair. Robin nodded and moved closer. He inhaled and did that weird opened mouth sniffing again, Red noted. When Robin was close enough, the thief quickly pulled the zipper down completely.
Robin had expected a lot of things, but not for Slade's cock to spring up and slap him on the face. He startled, digging his claws into the man's thighs as he did, and pulled back, glaring at Red, who could barely contain his laughter.
"Whaaaat?" the teen asked innocently. "It's just happy to see you!"
Robin's hand shot out and hit the thief in the chest, making him fall out of the bed.
"Looks like Robin have decided that you can't play anymore…" Slade chuckled.
"What! No! Kitten, I'm sorry, really!" Red complained.
Robin only narrowed his eyes at him.
"Don't make fun of me!" he hissed. "I've… it's not like I've ever…"
Red saw the hurt in Robin's eyes and, for once, felt very ashamed of himself.
"Listen, Robin… I'm sorry… That was nasty of me… I just couldn't help myself. Please forgive me?"
Robin saw that the thief meant it, and melted.
"Kay…" he nodded, "But next time I'll use my claws…"
"Err… deal?" Red said, sounding a bit hesitant… he knew himself, after all…
Robin's attention turned back to the erection in front of him, and then he noticed the drops of blood forming on the man's thighs where his claws had dug in.
"I'm sorry." he said and started licking the blood away. The body beneath him shuddered, but Robin heard, and smelled, that it was a good thing.
"Why don't you taste it, kitten?" Red suggested.
Robin looked at him doubtfully. He wasn't sure what to do.
"Here. I'll show you." Red leaned closer to Robin and the cat watched with large eyes as the teen ran his tongue up the thick shaft.
"But… my tongue… it wouldn't hurt?" Robin asked.
Red shook his head and continued licking. Robin leaned down on the other side and carefully let the tip of his tongue met the hot, soft flesh of the large head. The taste was like something he had never experienced before. All his natural urges kicked in, filling him with the musky, salty sensations that were all Slade. Suddenly Slade sat up and grabbed Robin's arm, dragging him upwards. Robin whined a bit in disappointment.
"Couldn't take it anymore, could you, Slade?" Red smirked.
"I would like to see you try hold back with that tongue on your cock…" Slade growled.
"I'd love too…" Red smirked.
Robin might have been a bit disappointed at loosing that amazing taste, but he couldn't help but feel very pleased with himself when he heard why. He started purring again.
Next thing he knew he was on his back once more. Robin wasn't that happy about that position, he felt slightly pinned, but he instinctively felt that Slade called the shots and that was the way it was supposed to be. He grew happier by the minute, though, when he felt two sets of lips on him. Slade was kissing his mouth hungrily, and Red X… oh, lord… Robin gasped and struggled to lift his head, he wanted to see. As Slade let him, the image of a hungry mouth swallowing his cock to the root engraved itself in Robin's mind. God, that felt amazing! Was that what he was supposed to have done? Suck it like that? He had only licked, and now felt somewhat guilty. On the other hand, he would have never been able to fit all of Slade in his mouth like that. How did Red even get all of him in? Robin realized that the boy was swallowing him, he felt his throat muscles constrict around his head… it was…
Robin reached forward and stopped the other teen.
"Do… do it to Slade... I… I wanna watch…"
Red only nodded, and got in position. Deep-throating Slade was a bit more in every way, and took some effort, but he had done it before, and he really wanted to impress the kitten.
Robin gasped as the man's shaft seemed to, impossibly, disappear into the teen's mouth.
"Woooow…" he whispered, and suddenly wanted to try for himself. He knew Slade would be too much for him, however, so he got up on his knees and crawled over to Red. The thief seemed to realize what the curious cat wanted, and turned towards him, so he was laying across the bed. Slade turned slightly to his side as well, getting a very nice view of Robin's ass, with the boy's tail standing straight up. Red turned on his side too, so Robin could reach him easily. He couldn't deep-throat Slade really well from this position, but still give him good head.
Robin slowly moved in, like if the glistening cock in front of him was prey. It looked so different from Slade's, and Robin then noticed why. Firstly, Reds cock was circumcised and, amazingly, there weren't any hair. Anywhere! The faint smell of shaving cream told him why, but he couldn't help touching the smooth area. His fingers danced over equally smooth balls, and wondered how the boy did it. Did he have help? Would Robin dare to try shaving too? He never had a problem with hair 'down there' and on Slade it was incredible sexy, but… he kinda wanted to try.
His fascination had driven all his hesitation away, and he started lapping at the dripping head, making Red cry out.
"Oh, god, kid! Talk about magic tongue!"
Robin grinned and then tried, carefully, to take the head into his mouth.
"Careful with those sharp teeth…." Red warned, and Robin mumbled something affirmative, the vibrations causing a moan from the thief.
Slade was not to be left out, and as he had very nice access to Robin's behind, he started running his hands over it. Robin purred and pushed back, the purr making Red almost lose it.
"It's like being sucked by a vibrator!" he gasped, until Slade bucked his hips, reminding him to do his job.
Robin was carefully moved on his side as well, the three of them now forming a very nice triangle. Slade's hands ran between Robin's cheeks, teasing his balls and the silky spot behind them, before touching the wrinkled entrance itself. Robin kept making little keening noises, without once letting go of Red's erection.
Slade decided that it was time. He doubted Robin would even be able to pull away now. He slicked his fingers with saliva and, gently palming Robin's cock, started to push one finger inside.
Robin moaned as the finger slowly slid deeper. He couldn't even begin to describe the feeling. He had fingered himself once or twice, but never quite understood the thrill. Slade's fingers were thicker and reached so much deeper than his own, however, and suddenly they touched a place that made Robin cry out and his hips buck. Red's cock had slipped from his mouth and the thief raised his own head.
"What are you doing to him? Oh…" Red snickered. Looks like someone has discovered his sweet spot."
"Occupy him…" Slade said softly, and Red understood, getting up from his position. He helped Robin up on his knees, the man's finger still deeply imbedded in him, and twitching, making Robin yelp softly. Red pushed the hero's knees apart so he was wide open while still being able to balance on them, and then started caressing Robin's front as he kissed his lips. He took over stroking Robin's cock, as Slade moved to reach for the lubrication. They would need more than spit to make this feel as good as they wanted it to feel.
Robin had gotten used to the digit by now, his muscles had stopped fighting it and now merely trembled very pleasantly. Besides, Red was doing such a good job on the rest of him; he was pretty much ready to let Slade do whatever he pleased behind his back. He flinched slightly, though, when Slade's finger slipped out and then returned with something cold spread over it. It happened several times, but the initial coldness faded quickly. Robin started looking forward to the finger entering, but the next time he was stretched even more. There were two fingers now, Robin realized, stretching and probing until they found that heavenly place inside him. The tips of the fingers just stayed there, applying only a light pressure, making him feel like a mix between being about to come and having the urgent need to pee. After a moment Robin couldn't take any more and pushed his hips back, making the fingers move. He made a pleading sound and threw his arms around Red's neck for support, as his thighs started to tremble.
"That feels good, huh?" Red whispered. "You want more, kitten?"
Robin nodded against his neck, and immediately a third finger entered him as well. He gasped and clamped down, not from pain but from the odd feeling. The three fingers didn't seem to be able to reach as deep, either, how ever much Robin tried to make them.
"You are ready… who do you want?" Slade asked, helping him to hold himself in place as well. Robin moaned and rolled his hips. He had understood the question, but it was a stupid one, since the answer was obvious.
"You... I want you…"
"Red X is smaller, since this is your first time-"
"You!" Robin snarled. "Now! I want you, please!"
"Yeah, now who is being unlike himself?" Red snickered. "Come on, Slade, like you would ever let anyone else have him first…"
"It was only right to ask…" Robin heard Slade chuckle.
"And if he'd picked me?" Red couldn't help but ask.
"Well, then he would have been disappointed, right?" the man said smugly, making Robin's hair bristle.
"Hey-" he started.
"Only kidding, Robin, only kidding…" The man said smoothly, though not very convincingly, and started to rub above his tail again. The sensation from that spot and being filled was almost too much for Robin, and he let out a strangled cry.
Slade kept rubbing the spot softly while getting in position and replacing his fingers. The boy was stretched and lubed, but if he tensed at this moment, it would still hurt. Red X was a trooper, though, and bit down on one of Robin's nipples, just as Slade pushed in. Claws scraped Red's shoulders, but Robin quickly got them under control. Damn, he could hardly breathe! And yet… and yet he wanted more! He pushed back against the man carefully, hoping there was more, and to his delight the cock slid in further… and further… Robin was gasping when his buttocks finally bumped into Slade's hips; he had reached the base.
"I want you to suck my cock while he fucks you…" Robin heard Red's sultry voice say, and nodded weakly at the suggestion. There was no way he was going to say no to anything right now. He was pushed forward on his hands and knees, and Red kneeled on the bed before him, while Slade shifted and grabbed his hip with one hand and… oh… the base of his tail with the other! The tail stood straight up in the air and Robin moaned as he discovered how truly sensitive it really was.
"Open wide, kitten." Red X grinned and the head of his cock was prodding at Robin's lips.
Robin snorted as if he was trying to tell the thief not to try to order him around, but he still did what he was asked. Red bucked and Robin almost gagged. He hadn't had time to figure out how the other teen had managed to do this before, and now he wasn't in as much control. Red was going too fast and too deep, and Robin tried to pull back. That didn't work, though, as Slade was there. Just then the man shifted, sliding out of him slightly, and Robin relaxed, thinking he would get a breather. Unfortunately, Slade wasn't aware of his struggles, and instead slammed into him, forcing Robin to take Red even deeper.
"Ahhh…. good… see? You got it…" Red praised him and cradled the back of his neck, holding him. "Now hold still…"
Red and Slade settled in a matching pace, and the more Robin relaxed, the easier the cock slid down his throat. He preferred the one in his ass, though, because even though it was slightly thrilling to be filled like this, Red fucking his mouth did very little to add to his own pleasure. Robin suddenly realized, however, that the better it felt for Red, the quicker he could come, and he really wanted to taste the thief's cream again.
The very thought made him purr, and remembering and feeling Red's reaction to that, he purred even harder, letting his long tongue massage the underside of the thrusting cock. It didn't take long for the thrusts to become erratic, and as Red gripped his hair almost painfully Robin knew he was about to be rewarded for this rough task. The thief pulled out almost all the way, and Robin sucked hard on the head as the cock twisted and started shooting strands of cum into his mouth. Robin swallowed greedily, very much enjoying the slightly tart and salty taste. As his cock got too sensitive, Red pulled away, and collapsed on the bed.
Robin chuckled, and glanced back at Slade. The man had continued to use long, slow strokes, making sure Robin wasn't in pain. It wasn't enough for the boy, though.
"Slade?" Robin asked.
"Yes?"
"You can do better than this, right?" he smirked.
And Slade could. Robin was soon moaning and screaming, as Slade fucked him every bit as hard as he'd fucked Red when Robin had watched. The incredible feeling of being filled again and again, Slade slamming him back on his cock by the hold of his tail and hip, made Robin almost delirious. He was so very close, and as he suddenly felt a hot mouth swallowing his cock again he was hurled over the edge. Red X, who had crawled under Robin's stomach to help things along, nearly choked as the teen seemingly exploded in his mouth. Robin's muscles spasmed, milking Slade's cock to the point of no return as well, Robin shuddered in a second, weakened orgasm as he felt Slade swell inside him, stretching him even more, and then filling him with hot seed.
Robin felt like he was falling endlessly, as he collapsed forward, half crushing Red X beneath him, but two pairs of strong hands caught him and soon he was stretched out on his back, panting.
He heard Red stir next to him and turned tired eyes his way.
"Red… did… did you want to…to fuck me?" he asked, knowing he owed the thief.
"Love to…" Red chuckled "but I need time to recuperate… like… a year…"
Robin chuckled slightly and closed his eyes. He felt like he needed a year too. Or two.
He woke in the best way possible, between two warm, naked bodies.
"Mmmm…. what time is it?" he asked.
"Just a bit passed midnight…" Slade answered. "We were considering waking you, but the rain is pouring outside... we preferred the warm bed…"
"Oh… I should get back soon, though…" Robin said, sounding rueful "They'll worry" He glanced over at his belt on the floor. "They had a quiet day, I guess, no alarms…"
"Well… actually…" Red started. "When I showered before I glanced at the news –yes, Slade, I used your laptop! I didn't mess with anything, I promise!- and there were several robberies today… the baddies are getting bold…"
"Oh." Robin looked away. "So… so they didn't call me, then. They knew I would just be in the way… and those scumbags out there know I'm useless too…"
"That's enough, Robin." Slade growled at his neck. "You'll be back on your feet in no time… we can start training tomorrow if you want…"
Robin turned around and nuzzled up to the man, butting his head softly against his chest and jaw. Slade didn't laugh at him, he merely returned the gesture.
"I'm going to tell them," Robin said, suddenly. "I'm going to tell that that it was you who helped me, and that you'll help me train." He felt his bedfellows tense a bit, and hurriedly added "I won't tell them anything else, I promise! I just… I've lied to them before, and… and I almost lost them… if you can help me, that's a good thing, right? Because they couldn't, and I can't do this by myself!"
"That's all right, babe, we trust you…"
Robin looked over his shoulder at Red and smiled.
"Thank you. You too, Slade?" he asked, turning his eyes to the man in front of him.
"Yes. And I don't even trust Red."
Robin grinned.
"Good thing that… and Red... a question… why did you shower without me?"
"Couldn't wake you up, kitten… you were sleeping so soundly it was almost scary…"
"All right, then. Slade, since Red already showered… feel like joining me for one?" Robin asked innocently and got a smirk from the older man back.
Red pulled him closer. "I might need another one… Does dirty thoughts count?"
After some nice fooling around in the shower, Slade took Robin back to the drop-off place, blindfold and all. He might trust the boy, but not the Titans, and the kids might follow their leader back to them. They would have to move around when they trained.
He was very surprised three hours later, when there was a knock on the side door.
Outside stood a very wet and shivering cat-boy, mask in hand.
"May… may I come in?" Robin asked.
The tone of his voice enraged Slade. Whoever had made it sound so broken would pay!
"Of course!" he threw the door wide open, and Robin entered, dropping his mask and belt as he went. Slade followed the trail that now consisted of clothes, and found Robin curling up under the sheets in the bed.
"What's wrong, kitten? And how did you find your way back?"
"By smell…" Robin answered quietly. "Took a while to find the right door though… I've knocked on so many… none would open…" Slade then saw Robin's bruised knuckles and had to stop himself from breaking something.
"I've should have given you the address for emergencies… I'm sorry. Now, what happened?"
"Can… can you call Red?"
Slade understood. Red was part of their… well, their 'pack' now, he supposed. Or was that 'pride'? He had never thought of anything permanent regarding the thief, but he found that he didn't mind the idea. Red was usually a perfect balance to him, when it came to dealing with Robin.
"I will."
Twenty minutes later, the thief had come in record time, Robin was again flanked by two naked bodies, wrapping their arms and legs around each other under the sheets. It was him who had invited it, feeling their scents and presence so close made him feel better. Slightly.
"Ready to tell us?" Slade asked. He saw that Red was worried too, and could see the same anger reflected in his eyes.
"They… they said that getting help from you was treacherous. That I just had to learn to deal… they… forbid me to see you… I told them… I told them I couldn't, that I felt… felt connected to you, I need you… then… then they said I had to choose. Robin took a deep shaking breath. "I'm no longer a Titan."
The End
A/N:
Happy or sad ending? A little of both, huh? I kinda like it… if you want it fluffier, just imagine what Slade and Red X has to say in response… ;o) See! There you go! All warm and fuzzy again!