A/N: Happy birthday Irina1492 (April 4'th)!
This story got away with me a bit, because it didn't want to be what I originally intended it to be… but I think I reeled it in nicely in the end… ;)
It's a freestanding story, so no prior reading needed… ;)
Warning: at one point in this story you might start singing. At least humming… but probably singing… I'm just saying, so you can read it somewhere safe.
Also, this story mentions straight sex. Yes, I know, it's totally gross, right! ;) But it's just a hint and I think you will be fine. Maybe it's two hints. But Robin is not involved, so you can start breathing again…
Fluff-haters might need a bucket, because this is pretty sweet, at least in places… ;)
And I'm sorry for the title. This is what happens when I don't have help…. although I secretly like it very much… .;)
The Birds and the Baddies
Secrets. Robin loathed them when they were being kept by others, like the criminals he fought, and he feared them when he kept them himself. He feared the consequences of someone finding out, whether it would just be ridicule or… something worse.
Sometimes secrets weren't so bad as he had imagined… like that time when he decided he wanted to try to shave himself 'down there' and felt really embarrassed afterwards. He thought of what would happen if someone found out, but when Beast Boy accidently walked in on him in the gym-shower… nothing had happened… because it turned out that he was not the only one who had ever experimented a bit.
This secret, however, was a bit more serious. He wouldn't get teased for this. And they were all about to find out.
Afterwards Robin liked to play the game "if only". If only Slade had been in his civilian clothes, his team might not have recognized him, but, as it was, the only thing the man wasn't wearing was his mask. If only Slade just hadn't gotten back from a mission abroad after being gone for two weeks, then, maybe, Robin wouldn't have been quite so desperate to kiss him as soon as he saw him. If only his team hadn't spotted him entering the alley and decided to be curious.
"Robin?"
"Slade!"
"What the-?"
The rest were just gasps of shock and disbelief, but it was the sound of his world shattering. No. Rather his worlds merging. Some things were never meant to merge… like a young idealistic hero and a much older, close to immortal, cynic mercenary, perhaps.
In a step Slade had put himself between Robin and the Titans. The move had been instinctive, not rational, as the one the group might try to hurt wasn't their leader. Hopefully. The hero put a hand on Slade's arm and shook his head, copying the man's move and placing himself in the middle again… he, after all, knew that some of his team-members could be a bit… rash.
"Slade… leave," he said softly.
"No," the stubborn bastard answered.
Robin sighed.
"This isn't going to be easy… and it's going to be worse with you here… so go. Please?"
"Who says we're gonna let him?" Cyborg growled and fired up his sonic canon.
"I am," Robin told him calmly, but extended his bo-staff, just in case.
"But Robin!" Starfire exclaimed. "He is Slade!"
"I know, Star, and I will explain. Back at the Tower. Let's go."
Slade made a move as if he wanted to follow, but Robin put two hands on his chest and pushed back firmly.
"I'll meet you here in a while, okay?" he whispered. "Things just need to… calm down."
"Fine. At seven. Don't be late or I'll come find you," the man growled.
Robin flashed him a quick smile, wishing he could exchange it for a kiss, and nodded.
Slade watched the Titans squeeze themselves into their car and drive away. He closed his hands, forming fists, as his palms tingled strangely, a sign that something was about to go wrong. He didn't have a 'spider-sense' by any means, but he did trust his instincts, and they told him to run after the car, get Robin away from those people and take off with him… which would make the young man exceedingly furious with him, he knew, so he stayed put.
His instincts spoke very loudly of the fact that something of his had been taken away, though. Robin was his, not theirs, although he knew he had to play nice and share. Still, he was kind of glad that they had found out now, but worried at the same time.
Robin hadn't wanted this to happen, that much was clear. The man wondered if the teen felt ashamed or only was afraid of the conflict this situation would undoubtedly bring. He wondered if the hero would be able to stand up to the pressure or, perhaps, fall victim to it and denounce him. The man's fists tightened. If so, he would fight to get him back… he would fight for Robin's love.
Cyborg more or less dragged a protesting Robin into the sick-bay and began running scans on him.
"What are you doing?" the leader growled.
"I'm trying to find out what he did this time," was his answer. "Guys, let's scan you as well!"
The search didn't yield any results, of course, and Cyborg turned to Raven instead.
"Can you feel if he's been hypnotized or if there's something magical going on?" he asked, and the young woman nodded curtly.
Robin felt her mental touch like a cold shiver across his forehead, and then it was gone.
"Are you quite done?" he asked coldly and crossed his arms.
"No! There has to be an explanation!" Cyborg told him.
"There is. A very simple one," Robin let him know.
"Please tell us Robin, because we do not understand," Starfire begged.
"I love him."
The room grew silent.
"Dude… that's worse than nano-probes!" Beast Boy burst out in the end. "I mean… you're gay?"The room turned a bit quiet, and then Beast Boy spoke again. "I… I mean… not that there's anything wrong with that… but… you?"
Robin rolled his eyes. The 'not anything wrong'-comment usually meant that the speaker felt the opposite.
"Yes, Robin, surely you can not love that man?" Starfire sounded like her world had been turned upside down.
"Yeah, man, he's a criminal!" Cyborg agreed, trying for a different approach.
"He's been pardoned and is not currently wanted for any crimes-" Robin started.
"He kidnapped you! He tortured us to get you to obey, don't you remember that? And sure, we didn't involve the police, but he's done other things-"
"That was years ago! We didn't know each other back then... We have put that behind us," Robin barked.
"He's still a villain! I mean, when Raven found out about Malchior she stopped liking him, right, Rae?" Beast Boy asked.
"Yes, but Malchior betrayed me. Used me," Raven said shortly.
"Yeah, well, Slade's probably doing that to Robin!" the changeling decided.
"He's not! Look, I can't get you guys to understand; fine… but if you meet him-"
"No way! He's not putting his damn feet inside the Tower!" Cyborg growled.
"You are overreacting, he won't-" Robin tried to reason with them, but his second in command had already made his mind up.
"I'm calling Batman," he declared.
"WHAT?" Robin exclaimed, because his friend had just used the 'I'm telling your dad!'-argument, and as the boy wonder was seventeen, he thought it was outrageous, and almost, almost funny.
"Dude, we… I think we need to talk, right guys?" Beast Boy said, sounding as betrayed as Starfire.
"Yeah… Robin, I hate to do this man, but I think you better wait in a holding-cell."
"A what?"
"Yeah, sorry, but if something is up here, I don't want you to run off and warn Slade. I need your belt and communicator too," the older teen said and held out his hand.
Robin muttered and shook his head in disbelief as he undid his utility-belt and handed it over. He was then escorted to the cell by Starfire and locked in.
He couldn't believe his team, but, at the same time… yeah, maybe he could. Slade had made it look like Robin had switched sides before, so he understood the initial suspicion, he even, as he was thinking back on it, thought Cyborg had acted wisely, but when they hadn't find anything… why was it so hard to believe that he was in love with Slade? Okay, so it had taken months before he could admit it to himself, but still…
It took almost an hour for the door to open again. Robin had not even considered trying to escape from the cell, even though it would be nice just to spite his team, but there was a huge obstacle in the way: he had designed the holding cells himself. He doubted even Slade could escape from them… which might be fun to try some day…
Starfire was the one who fetched him, and she was looking somewhat accusingly at him while they walked to the common room.
"You are in love with him?"
"Yes," Robin sighed.
"But… were you not having those feelings for… me?"
Robin stopped and turned to face his friend, giving her a very serious look.
"Star, we talked about this over a year ago… we agreed to be just friends, right? Didn't I explain that I… well, couldn't like you like a boyfriend?"
"Yes, but… I had still imagined… that one day…"
"I'm sorry, Star… I know I didn't tell you I was gay, but I thought I was clear… I don't want to lose you as a friend, but you have to accept that you and me… it can't happen."
"But did it have to be… a man? Did it have to be Slade?" she asked.
"Umm… yes. It had to be a man. It didn't have to be Slade, but that just happened…" Robin smiled apologetically.
"I will try to understand."
"Thank you."
Robin had had his fill of conflicts for one day, but it was far from over yet. As they walked into the common-room, Batman's face was frowning at him from the screen.
"I can't believe you actually called him…" the teen groaned.
"Your team is concerned about you," his mentor rumbled.
"Yeah, well… I'm in love with Slade, so what?" Robin asked. "I'm not the first one to be involved with someone inappropriate, am I?" he said, giving the Dark Knight a meaningful glare.
"Maybe not, but you are responsible for your team as well, if Slade is controlling you in some way-"
"He's not!"
"Even so. He's a mercenary, a bounty hunter. He might use your position for his own gain. It might even be as benign as to ask you with help on a case, thus diverting your attention… your job is to protect Jump City. Slade is not someone you should be involved with."
"Don't you think I haven't already thought of all this already? We've talked about it too. We're not mixing business and pleasure, Batman! I'm a professional!"
"You don't act like it. In fact, your actions have made your team uncertain if they can trust you."
That hit Robin hard. He had never felt so hurt.
"I… I would never endanger you guys for anything!" he told them.
"We don't think you will, it's just that… we don't think you're seeing things all too clearly right now…" Cyborg told him.
"Right now?" Robin asked.
"What we mean," Batman told him, "is that we are sure that this thing with Slade is just… a crush. He probably seems exciting, a bit dangerous, to you, but I'm sure that when you have gained a bit of perspective-"
"It's more than a fling," Robin told them sternly. "We have been seeing each other for six months now, and-"
"-you have been lying to your team for that long as well, then," Batman pushed.
"Not lied, I-… it's my private life, and-"
"It's not private when it can affect your team!" the Bat barked. "What if there had been an emergency when you were away? What if you were needed?"
"I never turned my communicator off, I've never stayed away more than a few hours, and we all have a right to personal time to go shopping and things like that!" Robin bit back.
"Again, shopping will probably not bring any danger to the team," the man said stubbornly.
"Fine!" Robin threw his arms out. "You've already decided that I'm guilty of treason or whatever. Well, Slade is in my life, so if he's not welcome, I'm not welcome. And I have plans to see him in an hour, so if you'll excuse me-"
"No," Batman said. "You are not going to see him. As I said, we think you need perspective, and we feel that the best way for you to gain that… is to come home. You are flying back to Gotham tonight."
"You must be fucking kidding me…." The teen pinched the bridge of his nose. "Isn't there any voice of reason here? Alfred! Are you back there somewhere?"
"Yes, Master Robin," the old man's voice said and he appeared next to Batman a moment later.
"Please talk some sense into them?" Robin begged.
"All I can say is that when I was eighteen I vividly remember planning to run away with the tailor's daughter, a girl of quite ill repute I should add. My father put his foot down, however, and I'm glad he did."
"But…"
"I'll bake your favorite cookies."
"Cookies don't help!"
"Cookies, dear boy, always helps," the old man smiled slightly. "And remember that true love never rusts… come enjoy our old Gotham for a while and I'm sure that reason will be seen by either party."
Robin frowned, however. He didn't want to go to Gotham. In fact he was sick and tired of both his team and his mentor right now, and all he wanted to do was escape to Slade… although he had a feeling that that would quite prove the other's point.
"You're not gonna try to run, right?" Cyborg asked. "This is really for your own good, you know…"
"People always use that expression when they want to screw with someone else but not feel guilty about it…" Robin muttered. "Fine! But I need to call Slade to-"
"No contact!" Batman shot him down.
"But he'll be waiting for me!"
"He's a big boy, I'm sure he can handle being stood up," the man said rather smugly, like he wished he could see the man's face when he realized that the teen wouldn't come.
"Yeah, he is a big boy, how did you know that?" Robin leered, feeling fed up with reasoning and now going for teasing instead.
"Master Robin!" Alfred exclaimed.
"Oh, please Al, I'm old enough to have some comparative notes…" Robin grinned.
"Not in my eyes, young man," the butler muttered, and Robin had a feeling there might not be that many cookies after all. Besides, he wouldn't go to Gotham. The no-calling thing had made up his mind, but he didn't want to end up in an actual fight with his team. Well, there would be plenty of opportunity to slip away at the airport either here or in Gotham, he was sure.
"Alright, we have some things to discuss further, so BB, can you take Robin to do some packing?" Cyborg asked.
"Sure. Sorry, man," the changeling muttered to Robin, who shrugged.
"Team decision. Don't worry about it," he said lightly.
"You'll be back in no time," the younger teen grinned as they walked down the corridor to Robin's room.
"No."
"Huh?"
"No, I don't think so. I already told Star I want to stay friends, and that goes for the rest of you too, but… if I ever come back to Jump, it won't be as a member of the Teen Titans…"
"But why?"
"Because you will never accept Slade, at least not for a long, long time, and I don't want or need that strain… I'll keep in touch, though," Robin promised.
"Nah, you're gonna change your mind about that guy! You have to!" his team-member claimed. "Come on, who are more important? Us or some criminal?"
"You, no question about it," Robin sighed. "But between you and the man I love? That's a tougher decision."
Beast Boy made a grunting noise that could probably be translated as 'we'll see about that'.
Robin declined any help packing and the other teen merely watched while his leader stowed things carefully down into a duffel bag, including a photo album and some news-paper clippings.
Robin didn't know quite how to pack, but he put quite a lot civilian clothes in the bag as, wherever he would end up, he wouldn't be Robin for a while. He'd call Slade first chance he got and then… well, maybe they would go away together or something… the teen felt a nag of worry as he thought about their future, because however sure he was of his own feelings…. no, he knew Slade cared about him. A lot. Probably loved. But although they were serious, they had never spent a full twenty four hours together, and the step to suddenly living together? Huge! Was either one willing to make it? And if they decided not to, where would that leave them? Robin had no illusions of Slade as a knight in shining armor, sweeping him away to a faraway white castle somewhere to live happily ever after… he might be in love, but that didn't make him quite that naïve. He was sure they would at least meet up, though... spend a couple of days together just the two of them… he looked forwards to that.
"Are Alfred's cookies really that good?" Beast Boy suddenly asked.
"Huh? Why?"
"'Cause you're grinning…"
"Yeah… right… good cookies…" Robin chuckled.
Again he had to wait longer than he had expected, all the time watched by his team mate. Seven o'clock had come and gone, and the teen felt both guilty and angry at his team for not even letting him send a text. Sure, he had stood Slade up before, emergencies did tend to be unpredictable, after all, but he had usually been able to get some sort of message to him when that happened… what would he think now?
At least Batman's face wasn't there staring at him when he was escorted into the common room again, but Cyborg had drawn himself up and tried to imitate the look. Robin didn't' know whether to laugh or cry. Was what he had done really so bad? It certainly seemed like his team thought so.
"Batman and we have decided that you are to take the Titan's jet, and Raven has volunteered to escort you there and fly it home again. You are to land at a small, private airfield owned by some rich guy Batman knew."
"Great…" Robin muttered. Flying directly from the Tower to Bruce Wayne's hidden landing-strip wouldn't give him much chance for escape... which was exactly what the others had figured out, he guessed. Would he have to play nice in Gotham for months before he would be let out of sight? It seemed like it, and it made his skin crawl. He really should just run, right now, and if they tried to stop him… but no. He couldn't fight his own team... they hadn't turned evil after all… They just thought he had… He considered trying to reason with them once more, but he knew it would be useless. They had Batman's decisions to follow, and they would. For Robin's sake. The teen sighed.
"Ready?" Raven asked somberly, and Robin nodded. He did wonder what went on behind that blank face. Raven hadn't reacted much, but then again… she seldom did, not on the outside. Did she hate him? Was she disappointed? Felt betrayed? Scared? He might find out if he asked, but, right now, he was afraid of the answer.
They entered the jet, which could lift more or less vertically, a rather neat feature as the runway across the big "T" wasn't that long, and Robin slumped down in a chair while Raven went into the cockpit after closing, and probably locking, the door.
The others had already said their goodbyes inside, because standing next to a jet as it was taking off was not that pleasant. Robin still had Starfire's 'please feel well soon!' ringing in his ears. Yeah… he was sick, alright… he wondered what Slade would say about that… He wondered how long it would be before he would be able to tell him about it.
The plane took off, pressing the teen back in his seat, and then the cockpit door opened. Robin's head snapped up as they were still climbing and what he saw made his jaw drop.
"I feel like I should yell surprise," the man smirked.
"Slade!" Robin jumped up and fought the g-forces to be in the man's arms. "But... how… oh, god, Raven! Did you-"
"I'm fine," the woman's voice droned and when Robin looked over Slade's shoulder he saw her looking back at him from behind the controls, a small smirk on her face.
"But… but…" the teen began and then noticed a third party in the cockpit. "Ummm… who are you?"
"Aw, I'm so hurt, kid… thought you'd recognize an old friend…" the red-headed teen smirked.
"… Red X!"
"The very same. You can have my autograph later."
Robin looked from face to face and then gave up.
"Explain."
"When I scanned you I discovered what I also told the team later: you love Slade," Raven shrugged.
Robin blushed to the tip of his ears and glanced up at the man, because they hadn't quite gotten as far as lovey-dovey things yet… it's was more along the lines of 'I want you', usually followed by the reply 'In a bed or right here?' Slade, however, merely pulled him closer with a smug look on his face.
"Okay? I mean… that didn't seem to stop the others?"
"No, but I had a slightly different point of view…" the woman muttered and then, after a moment's hesitation, continued. "I've been seeing Red X for as long as you have been seeing Slade."
"What?" the former Titan leader gaped. "I… you… him… what?"
"See, I said he would be up for a threesome," the thief grinned, making both Raven and Robin blush this time.
"And why would a straight man be interested in a Devil's three-way?" Slade asked innocently.
"Yeah, well, I figured that Robin would play the part of the other girl," the thief shrugged. "I mean… doesn't he?"
"Don't answer that," the boy wonder growled, but his partner didn't listen.
"To perfection," Slade smirked.
"What part of 'don't answer that' didn't you understand?" the teen hissed at the mercenary as Red X snickered loudly.
"Anyway…" the woman in the group continued, determined to get them back on track. "I had thought of ways to break mine and Red's relationship to the team… to introduce him… and when they all turned against you, even after it had been established that there was no foul play, because I have to admit I suspected that in the beginning as well, then… well, I realized that I would either have to keep my boyfriend a secret forever… or leave…"
"So my honey badger called me, I went to see Slade at your appointed time and place, and along those lines it is," Red X summed up.
"So we are… not going to Gotham?" Robin asked.
"Hell no," the redhead snorted.
"Good… wait… Honey badger?"
"No comment," Raven muttered.
"Cute but vicious," Red X explained.
"I see…" the teen wondered if he should think up a pet name for Slade, but decided against it for now. They were on a plane after all… and speaking of that… "So, where are we going?"
The other three shared a long look which ended with Red X shrugging.
"You don't know?" Robin asked, stunned.
"Well, we all were busy planning and packing and stuff…" the thief defended the group.
"Yes, but… oh, well… maybe we should figure something out?"
"We have time," Raven pointed out, "at least until we are due to land in Gotham, and that's four hours away."
"We should get rid of the jet, it's too easy to trace," Slade told them.
"Duh…" Robin chuckled.
"Let's go to Las Vegas!" Red suggested and Robin grinned, liking the idea.
"No," Raven and Slade answered as one.
"Although," the mercenary added, "It would make a good false trace, especially as they are going to find Raven's message."
"What message?" Robin asked.
"I recorded one, and it's timed to play when we were scheduled to land… it explains what I decided to do and why… and it clears you, by the way. I just didn't want them to think we had crashed or anything."
"Good thinking… but I would have loved to be in on this plan," Robin grinned.
"Exactly. If I had told you, you wouldn't have looked so sulky."
"I didn't sulk!"
"Please."
"Okay, fine…" Robin sulked, while the others chuckled.
"So… Vegas?" Raven asked.
"Yes. I'll make a few calls, get things ready," Slade said.
"My boyfriend the travel agent," Robin grinned, making the man snort.
Raven took the plane in the right direction and Robin moved to the back where Slade was making his calls, as it was quite crowded with three people in the cockpit and he felt like the third wheel.
The mercenary just ended a call and turned to face him.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.
"I'm glad you're here," Robin answered, somewhat cryptically, and just leaned against the man's chest, giving a deep sigh.
"Hurt? Angry?"
"Little of both… maybe mostly… surprised."
"If it hadn't been me they would have taken it better," the man comforted him.
"Yeah… but what the hell would I do with someone who wasn't you?" Robin grinned slightly and looked up at him.
"Doesn't bear thinking about," the man muttered, but his eye glittered with mirth, and then he kissed him.
"Hey, no sex on the plane!" Red called back to them, having spotted the move.
"Actually that only went for you and me," Raven replied.
"What?"
"Well, you wanted to be the co-pilot, and I'm the pilot, so it's just common sense. Passengers can do whatever they want."
"I resign!"
"I'm still the pilot."
"But the others could-"
"Nah, we're busy," Robin cut in with a smirk and then pulled Slade down for another kiss.
Raven smiled softly as she checked the instruments and then returned her gaze to the blue skies ahead. Screw the Trigon-thing; this was the bravest stunt she had ever pulled. She glanced at her boyfriend in the seat next to hers and felt something warm bubble up inside her. Yes, Red could be annoying and, on the surface, they were as much meant for each other as a kitten and a Pit-bull, but he had been… persistent. And, more importantly, he had showed her another side of the quipping thief; a very vulnerable side, full of grief and pain, but also intelligence and a huge capacity for love. This was what she wanted in her life now, and damn it, she deserved it! Being a hero was fine, she thought she would be one again, but she couldn't be one if she wasn't allowed to love whoever she wanted.
The Slade and Robin thing had been a bit of a shock and a wake-up call all at once, and she had acted from there, on instinct, more or less, but she wasn't sorry. She had seen, and felt, the emotions running between the two, like super strong magnets or two thunderstorms about to collide. There were no ifs or buts about this: Slade and Robin belonged together, and the differences in age and, possibly, morals...? Well, some things you just had to ignore.
One hour later they had landed outside Las Vegas and Red was visibly itching to go into the city.
"No casinos for you, we're just switching flights," Raven told him. She and Robin had changed into civilian clothes on the plane and the young woman had taken one look at Robin's sky-blue eyes and just said "Wow."
"The others will probably think we went here to get married," Robin grinned, and then turned red when he realized what he had said.
"Great idea, right, my nightshade?" the redhead exclaimed.
"No," she said.
"You won't marry me?"
"I won't marry you in Las Vegas. Maybe somewhere else. Later."
"So… where will we be later, Slade? Got a cozy underground lair for us in mind?" Red asked.
"I meant later as in months or years, not hours," the woman clarified.
"Oh."
"Not a lair… but you realize that Batman might send the JL after us, don't you?" Slade asked. The three others turned deadly serious at once.
"You think he will?" Red gasped and then glanced at Robin, who nodded.
"Yeah, maybe. He can be a bit… stubborn."
"OH-MY-GOD! OH-MY-GOD! OH-MY-GOD! What the hell do we do?"
"Ummm… not panic in public?" Robin deadpanned.
"GOOD PLAN!"
"And keep our voices down?"
"ABSOLUTELY!"
Robin sighed and gave Raven a look.
"You actually like this one?"
"He… has his moments…" she said dryly.
"Well, he doesn't seem to be having any of them right now…" Robin drawled.
"Evil, evil Titan," the thief muttered.
"Would anyone want to find out my plan or do you prefer to just tag along?" Slade asked with quite a bit of sarcasm in his voice.
"Yeah, you two, let the travel agent speak!" Red huffed. "Stop fooling around, what are you? Five?"
"What's the plan, Slade?" Robin sighed.
"I suggest we leave the U.S. altogether. Europe is to be preferred for now, I think."
"Oh, wow… that far, huh?" Robin mumbled. Somehow leaving the country made it more real; they were really on the run.
"It's better to disappear completely than to have to run again," the man argued. "But of course it's up to you."
"If you say Europe… we'll go to Europe," Robin shrugged after waiting from a small nod from Raven. "But, where exactly? Do you have any bases there?"
"Quite a few, but I'm thinking of one in particular… a castle in Germany."
"You're kidding me right?" Robin exclaimed. "You really have a castle?"
"Have you been wondering if I did?" the man asked wryly and arched an eyebrow.
"Umm… well… forget it," the teen muttered. "It's not white, is it?"
"In fact it is."
"I don't believe it…" Robin mumbled.
"Me either," Red snorted. "What would a mercenary do with a whole castle? And do you go over there once a week to mow the lawn?"
"Firstly it's not that big. It's medieval, but was badly damaged in the Second World War, so only one wing remains. It's hidden away in a rural area and I have a small staff looking after it."
"But… why a castle?" Robin asked. He felt like the man had just told him that he liked the accordion: like a new, and possibly scary, side of Slade had been revealed.
"Why not?" the man smirked.
"I bet it has a throne…" Red muttered.
"No, but that's a good idea," the man chuckled. "I do like to invest in different markets, though, and it's a good place to keep some antiques."
"Who are you, and what have you done to Slade?" Robin gaped.
"Wrong questions. What you should be asking yourself is what I will do to you in my early sixteenth-century four-poster bed."
"Oh… okay…" Robin agreed.
Slade had arranged for them to be smuggled onboard a freight-carrier plane flying to New York and then they would take another flight across the Atlantic from there. As they arrived in New York, however, three of them looked a little worn and voted to spend the night at a hotel.
They found a large motel close to the airport which looked okay.
"Should I book two rooms or three?" Slade asked and he was looking at Raven when he did. Robin couldn't help a twinge of excitement at the prospect of spending a whole night with the man… and the fact that Slade had assumed that they would.
"Two," Raven said with the smallest of smiles. Red made up for it with a huge grin of his own. "Although we are capable of booking our own room."
"I'm sure you are. I will be right back," the man said and disappeared into the reception-building.
"Is he always like this?" Raven asked her team mate.
"What? Bossy and taking charge? Yup. Pretty much."
"He's just annoyed that this wasn't his plan from the start," Red said wisely, "so he tries to make up for it now by being the travel agent."
"You are smarter than you look," Robin smirked.
"Hey!" the thief objected. "Well… maybe… but in that case I'm a genius…"
"Well, you did't expect me to fall for an idiot, did you?" Raven snorted.
"I was worried for a while…" Robin grinned. "Are you sure you're not being hypnotized?"
"And you wondered why we reacted like that with you and Slade…" the young woman muttered.
Slade interrupted any future discussions about who had the more unlikely boyfriend, by returning with their keys and four ready-packed meals.
"I suggest we stay in our rooms and get an early start tomorrow. I'll try to secure us a ride, but if that fails we should at least be at the airport."
"Yes sir!" Red saluted.
"I'm starting to warm up to this one," Slade told the thief's girlfriend.
"I know. Been there. But he's mine," Raven said firmly.
"I doubt I will ever warm up to him that much," Slade chuckled.
"Hell no, you better not. I want my ass undamaged, thank you," Red X snorted.
"Who says it will be?" Raven smirked, making her boyfriend pale a little.
Robin took a long shower, trying to wash all the grime away, both the physical and the physiological, and when he had just rinsed off he was joined by Slade, which meant a slightly longer shower still, as well as some intense kissing and groping.
As they made it out into the room, however, they heard that they were not the only couple who had had a similar idea, because their bedroom wall was shaking.
"Oh, god, no…" Robin whined.
"Just ignore it."
"Ignore it? How? She's like my sister! Oh, god, I didn't know she could make so much noise…" Robin groaned, curling up on the bed and pressing a pillow over the side of his head to keep the noise down.
"I bet we could outdo them," Slade smirked and climbed on the bed as well. They had both had towels around their waists, but Robin's had opened slightly and Slade's was falling off completely.
"You can't be thinking of-" the teen gaped.
"Of course I am."
"Pervert."
"Yes."
"Bad, dirty old man."
"Yes."
"Thinking you will get me to do whatever you want…"
"Yes."
"Probably all night too…"
"Yes."
Robin yelped as Slade's smirk turned into a feral leer and the man grabbed his legs and pulled them until he was flat on his back. As soon as the man's body covered his, however, the teen forgot about the thin wall and what was happening on the other side of it. Slade's skin was still hot and damp from the shower and Robin licked at a pearl of moisture on the man's jaw as his arms and legs wound themselves around the much bulkier body, the man's cock pressed against his own.
"Hard and fast…?" he gasped.
"No."
"No?"
"Hard and slow," Slade smirked. "We have more than an hour or so for once."
"Why am I suddenly worried that I'm not going to be able to walk tomorrow?" Robin groaned.
"Because, above all," Slade leered. "You are very perceptive."
"Yeah… but for now I'm just gonna act dumb and let you do what you want to me anyway," the teen promised solemnly.
"Did I mention generous?" Slade chuckled.
"Don't forget limber, sexy and eager."
"Never."
Robin chuckled and pulled the man down for another kiss. This reminded him of before they started having sex, when the stolen moments were about almost getting there, of flirting and kissing and touching and grinding… after sex had entered the picture there was suddenly a focus, a goal, which they both knew they had to hurry towards if they would have time to finish, so things, perhaps, got a little less playful. Robin didn't blame Slade for that, however, because he wanted it just as badly and although making out could be amazing, it was never quite enough anymore… but now they could have both, because now no beeping little contraption would force them apart, no guilt about abandoning his team would have Robin leaving right afterwards, and they would have a bed of their own too, eventually; no more motels like this, or derelict buildings, deserted rooftops or dark alleys. Robin moaned into the kiss and raised his hips eagerly. For the very first time, Slade would be just his.
The next morning, over breakfast, three quarters of the group did their best to avoid eye contact. Slade seemed to enjoy the situation, however, and announced that he had booked their next flight.
"There's a plane leaving for London in one hour, a private jet, and the owner has agreed to smuggle us out of the country… however, Robin, you might have to put your ethics aside…"
"If they are also smuggling drugs, forget it!" the teen said.
"No, they are not smuggling anything. As far I know even the visit to London is legit... but we will be travelling with Lex Luthor."
"Oh. Great."
"Showing our passports would more or less immediately tell the JL where we are," Slade shrugged. "I can arrange new ones for us in London, though, so it's a good opportunity. Besides, Luthor probably won't recognize you without your mask."
"He might, we've met," Robin muttered. "And he knows who I am…"
"Ah… I didn't know that," Slade muttered.
"Do you think he'll talk?"
"No. The reason he agreed is that he owes me a favor, and I'd say it's big enough for him to keep his mouth shut as well… At least until our trail has gone cold."
"What do you guys say?" Robin asked the other couple, who looked at each other and nodded.
"Hate to say it, but I trust the big guy," Red admitted.
"Slade seems to have good judgment," Raven agreed. "Let's go to London."
Red X wasn't too sure how he had ended up on the run out of the country for love, but he found it very romantic and didn't dwell on it. His Raven was worth it, after all, he had know it from the moment he first saw her somewhat sullen face, and had been helplessly in love since the first time he had made her smile… which had taken two weeks. But shame on the quitters, that was his motto.
The Slade-Robin thing wasn't nearly as big of a surprise to him as to the others, because he had seen a thing or two on his nightly rounds. He feigned ignorance, however, and would continue to claim that this was the first he had ever heard of it, because his belladonna would not be happy with him for keeping it secret… but he had to, as a bro… and because he didn't want Slade to be out for his blood.
All in all, this was a great adventure for him, and he was intent on enjoying every moment of it to the fullest.
If Robin had hoped that Lex Luthor wouldn't look at him twice he was gravely disappointed.
"And what is the ward of a millionaire doing with a mercenary?" the bald man asked almost as soon as they entered the plane.
"Seducing him," Robin answered quickly.
"Successfully," Slade added, and that was pretty much the end of that conversation.
"Hey, Lex-guy," Red said after looking around. "You're rich, right?"
"Yes?" the man answered after giving Slade a look that said that, once this was over, the mercenary would owe him a favor.
"Really? I mean… no peanuts?"
"Settle down, Red," Slade told the teen sternly, while Robin was trying to pretend that he wasn't chuckling but having a weird coughing attack.
"Let's go sit in the back," Raven said dryly and tugged her boyfriend out of harm's way.
"Hey, foxglove, I just realized something…"
"What?"
"None of us are flying the plane… if you know what I mean…"
"It's a small plane, Red."
"It's a long journey!"
"Not that long."
The last thing they hear the thief say, before the sounds of the engines roaring to life drowned him out, was;
"Hey… you think me asking for peanuts was insensitive…? You know… with him being bald?"
Robin had to cough some more right then.
The flight was long. Lex spent it mostly working, clearly not comfortable enough to take a nap around his guests… and he shouldn't be, because Robin would, god help him, have drawn something rude on his scalp with a black marker. Or maybe drawn a little toupee.
"If you snicker like that while looking at someone that person will begin to think they can't trust you," Slade hinted at that moment.
"Um… oh, well… just random thoughts…" Robin claimed innocently.
"Sure. Tell me about them later," Slade smirked.
"Will do," Robin promised with a grin and stood up. They were across the aisle from Lex, and this part of the plane was made up to look like a combination between a sitting room and an office, with only a few groups of large comfy chairs spread out instead of row after row of seats. There were benefits to private jets after all. Robin turned to the criminal businessman politely. "Excuse me, but where's the restroom?"
"In the back," the man gestured, and Robin walked down until he came to a partition, probably leading to the more private part of the plane. He pushed the sliding door open a bit and then quickly closed it again, and headed back to his seat.
"I think I can hold it."
"They were having sex, weren't they?" Slade asked dryly.
"Yup."
"I will send you the cleaning bill," Lex Luthor growled. "And, trust me, it will be extensive."
They saw as little of London as they had seen of Las Vegas, as only Slade ventured out to secure passports for them. The next leg of the journey was a quick hop over to Munich, and there Slade rented a car to take them the rest of the way.
"Wow… this looks very 'Sound of Music'," Red mumbled as he took in the landscape as they were leaving the more populated areas behind.
"Well, it is the same mountains, so to speak. Austria is across the border," Slade told him.
"But, for the love of god, please don't sing!" Robin begged.
"Well, we all already know a few of your 'favorite things', from the other night," Red smirked, as enough time apparently had passed for him not to find the whole thing embarrassing anymore. Not so for Robin.
"Shut up," he muttered.
Red, however, started to hum.
"And harder and faster and leg over shoulder. And taking it deeply from someone who's older. And kissing and licking and creaking bed springs… these are a few of his favorite things!"
"I'm going to kill you!" Robin hissed.
"He's going to kill us all, I need both hands to steer on this road," Slade chuckled.
Raven snickered quietly, which was almost hysterically to come from her, and Robin crossed his arms, pouting.
"I hate you all."
But Red was, unfortunately, on a roll…
"Doggy-style, cowboy, or old miss-io-nary, Slade likes them all, and Rob should be wary. Soon he'll get spanked all tied up with sting, 'cause those are a few of Slade's favorite things!"
"It's not!" Robin huffed. "It's not, is it?" he asked his lover.
"Of course not," Slade snorted.
"Good."
"String is too flimsy."
The teen hero had had quite enough by then and asked the ultimate travelling question;
"Are we there yet?"
It turned out that they didn't have that far to go left, and soon something white was peeking through the trees, making the younger people in the car 'oh' and 'ah'. The castle might be small by, what the group imagined to be, normal standards, but it was still as huge as Wayne Manor, and the thick stone walls and deeply set windows made it look even more imposing. It was built for defense and to look daunting, not to be pretty and inviting, after all.
"It suits you," Robin grinned as he got out of the car.
"Thank you. I thought so too," Slade chuckled.
They were met by two staff members and Slade spoke to them shortly. Robin tried to follow the conversation. Bruce had taught him German, and he had had classes as well, but it was a long time ago and what the hell was that dialect? He caught most of it, though; them saying that everything was ready and that Slade's room and a guestroom had been prepared. Slade thanked them and gave them a few weeks of paid leave, as they had had to work so hard with almost no warning. Robin also suspected the man wanted some privacy and agreed wholeheartedly.
"So are they speaking Dutch or what?" Red X ambled up to him and asked.
"Dutch? We're in Germany!" Robin answered, looking stumped.
"Nah, but I saw the sign at the airport saying Dutchland," Red claimed.
"Deutschland," the black-haired teen said.
"Yeah? So are they Dutch or not?"
"Deutschland is the German name for this country," Robin explained, feeling a headache coming on.
"What? Why don't they call it Germany like the rest of us?" the thief asked.
"Red… do me a favor and don't talk too much around the staff, okay? The U.S. already has a certain reputation in Europe, and you just kinda proved it true…" Robin sighed.
"Okay… but where does the Dutch live then?"
"In Holland."
"Oh, come on! Can't you just answer a simple question?" Red complained.
"It's true. But the more accurate name for Holland is the Netherlands."
"Where Peter Pan lives?"
Robin gave up then and there.
The following days were mostly blissful, however. Slade having sent the staff away meant some housework for the group, though, especially as most of the heat in the building came from the fireplaces, which meant chopping a lot of wood. They all shared equally in all chores, of course, even though the male teens complained that Raven could chop wood while lounging on a sun bed, tanning herself.
There was a small, deep, cold lake below the castle, which was perfect for swimming and even skinny-dipping, although that was done in pairs, privately.
Even though there was no central heating, the place had electricity, and a extremely good internet connection that Slade claimed he had the German military to thank for… or he would thank them if they had known about it.
The man spent some of the days in his office, working, keeping in contact with his sources and hiding his traces at the same time. After about a week he had news for the former Titans during breakfast.
"I've secured an untraceable connection. I figured you wanted to call home soon to let them know you are alright."
Both Robin and Raven was suddenly overcome by guilt. They had had too much fun enjoying their new freedom to spare their old lives much thought. They decided to make the call together.
There was a lot of yelling involved from the Titan's side, but they let them, as the others must have been worried, despite Raven's message. After the three had calmed down a bit Robin and Raven apologized but explained that this was something they had to do. It would be a lie to say that they ended the call as friends, but it felt... better. It made Robin sure he had made the right choice.
The next call he made alone, and it was, of course, to Batman.
"Regretting running away?" the Dark Knight asked.
"Nope," Robin shrugged. "Just wanted you to know that we are okay."
"In Europe," the man stated.
Robin tried to keep a perfectly blank face and he was obviously doing quite a good job, because in the end Batman scowled irritably.
"Luthor told me."
"The little bald snitch," Robin snorted. "Well… it's a big place."
"Still, you can't hide forever," the man pointed out.
"Why would I? We're not doing anything wrong!" the teen growled.
"You being seventeen and travelling with a fake passport might be frowned upon," Batman deadpanned.
Robin swallowed, wondering how much the man really knew, but then shrugged it off. The fake passports could have been an assumption, and would still only trace them as far as Munich.
"Fine. I'll make sure I stay away until my next birthday," he muttered.
"You don't have to, Robin," the man sighed. "But I would hope you see reason soon…"
"Same to you," the teen groaned in exasperation. "What will it take, Bruce? What will it take for you to understand that I really love him?"
"I doubt I will ever understand… but you are young, and you are suddenly living together. I don't give your relationship many weeks… you can come home afterwards."
"Thanks," the teen said sarcastically. "And, sure, you could be right! I mean, statistically, first loves that last forever is as rare as UFO-sightings, but that doesn't change the fact that I love him now. So even if I come home heartbroken in a few months or so, you can never be right, Bruce. Sorry. I know you love to be."
Robin ended the call shortly after, and again had the same sense of rightness. He didn't know how long they would stay at this place or where they would go from here. He didn't even know if they would stay as a group or not. He supposed he would help Slade on his next mission, as long as it wasn't a shady one, of course, and maybe the others wanted to help too. Robin smirked a bit, as he was pretty sure Slade didn't want to play den-mother to a bunch of teens if he could avoid it. He shrugged. So he had no idea about the future. So what? He knew that tonight he would be in that wonderful, large, antique bed, laying next to, or preferably under, the man he loved, and the next morning he would be having breakfast with him, with a Raven who was smiling more and more, and a certain redheaded thief that, Robin had to agree, really 'had his moments'.
Life was good.
The End
A/N: hope you enjoyed the little love-fest… Sometimes you really just have to run away to a castle with your love. Try it. ;)