IMPORTANT 3.000 REVIEW PRIZE INFO:

I have decided to change the rules to make the prize for the 3.000 reviewer of this collection more fair. To avoid any "cheating" like leaving anonymous reviews or reviewing old chapters until the right number is reached, I've decided that, when the review numbers reach 1.980, I will ONLY count logged in reviews for NEW chapters, until number 3.000 is reached, that, I think, will give everyone a fairer chance, as you don't always know when I will update next and so on… alright? Now I just have to try to remember my own rule and do the counting… *mutters* ;) Oh, and I'd like to point out that the prize might take a while, depending on what else I have to do, so you will have to be a tiny bit patient… ;)

A/N: Happy b-day Bakafirekitsunesama (May 13)!

I am SOOO happy to be allowed to continue this story! Pure dark-lovers might hate it, I don't know, but pure fluff-lovers might hate it too, so… wait… I'm not sure if making two large groups hate the story is a good thing? Ah, well, it's done. Besides, I'm pretty sure most of you will at least enjoy it… ;)

One mention:

The A/U-ness in this story includes Slade's background. No Addie, no kids… just so you know… ;)

And… this story has some very crack-ish parts as well as some serious parts… I want you only to take it semi-seriously, okay? Because this is me just INDULGING in the craziness that can be Slade and Robin… please let me?

There will be credits/disclaimers at the bottom because many people helped out with this!

THIS HAS NOT BEEN EDITED more than a read-through, because I was writing up to the very end. This is bad authorship, but it gets worse: I won't have time to actually fix the mistakes because I am on a VERY tight schedule here, but if (or rather when) you spot something that is COMPLETELY wrong, like a wrong word or something that doesn't make sense (like hoarse instead of horse, not like was instead of were), then let me know, but only then, please! I feel bad if you send me a long list of corrections when I don't have time to do anything about them… and when I get those I usually can't ignore them and I end up making the changes anyway so PLEASE overlook them, because I simply don't have the time…?

The Bird and his Keeper 2: Gilded Cage

"You can't be serious!" Robin yelled at Slade as soon as they got into the man's car outside the airport. "I know I said that before, but now you really have to be kidding me!"

"Of course not; I never propose for fun," the man, with a very collected look on his face, told him.

"We're calling this off!"

"No."

"I'm NOT marrying you!"

"Yes, you are."

Robin took a deep breath, realizing that he was arguing with a wall, and rubbed his eyes. He discovered that his cheeks were still wet and now he knew that the tears must have been from shock that the man was alive. Shock from disappointment, because there was NO way they were tears of relief, no way in hell!

The teen had been forced to hold it all in for a long time, first for a million questions from the press, and then when the security had to take them through the airport at a round-about route so they would be able to leave in all the excitement. They had even spent an hour in a VIP waiting room until the staff could unload Slade's bags and get them to the car in one piece. It was really ridiculous.

"Fine, I realize that breaking this… engagement… now would be bad for business, or whatever," Robin began, deciding to try to reason with the wall when shouting at it didn't work. "But that doesn't' mean we'll have to get married! We'll just have a long engagement, we can say that… that… Oh! That we are waiting until I'm done with my studies, and that I want to be able to have champagne on my wedding day, so we have decided to put it off until I turn twenty-one and can legally drink… that makes sense, right? And since that's three years away, the attention will shift from us and we can just… quietly separate in a few months or so… We can make a statement that we're 'still friends' and crap like that. I'm even willing to go out with you once or twice afterwards to prove to the damn vultures that there's no interesting drama to be found… okay?"

"I'm impressed. Your time with me has really taught you how to handle the media," Slade smiled.

"So you think it will work?"

"Yes, I think it will work perfectly."

"That's great! Then-"

"But we're still getting married."

"Wintergreen, help!" Robin groaned.

"I'm very happy for you both, Sir, Mr. Grayson."

"….fat lot of good you are…" Robin muttered. "We're not getting married!"

"Wintergreen, would you raise the partition, please?" Slade asked.

"No! No sex! I swear, if you try it, I'll squeeze my ass so hard your cock breaks off!"

"I'm sure that's true, but I only wanted to tell you a few things in private, as I think you would prefer it that way…" Slade said, grinning as his eye landed on his driver's very red ears.

"Oh. Sorry…. Err… sorry, Wintergreen…" Robin mumbled, blushing as well.

"Raising the partition now, Sir," the man croaked out.

Robin waited until they had some privacy before he exploded again.

"I let this go on long enough, Slade, but forget it! You're ruining my life!"

"Hardly. You can choose any educational path and pursue any profession you'd like. And you know I don't mind your heroic activities."

"I don't mean that, I mean my personal life! My love life!" Robin snapped.

"Your love life?" Slade said with the same amount of disbelief in his voice as if he had said 'your PMS?'.

"Yes! If I'm married, then-"

"Then what? You weren't seeing anyone at the time we first struck the bargain. If that night never happened, do you think you would have been dating by now?"

"I don't know! Maybe!" Robin told the man.

"I have a very strong feeling that you would still be a virgin," the man shrugged, not teasing him, only stating a fact. "What kind of life have you pictured for yourself, boy? That you'd meet someone, date him, and then what? Would you tell him that you were Robin? When? When would be the perfect time to tell him? When could you trust him enough? After the first kiss? The first night together? After he declared his love for you? After you moved in together? How could you ever be sure? Sure that he'd never be overheard saying something out of spite or while drunk? Sure he'd never get in danger simply because he loved you?" Slade paused for a moment, giving Robin a serious look, but he wasn't done. "Or wouldn't you tell him? Sneak away in the night, coming back with bruises you couldn't explain? To find someone who would let you risk your life out there every night… do you think that's likely? Or would you give up being Robin? Focus on your studies, taking over Wayne Enterprises little by little. Spending your days in stuffy board meeting and your nights at business dinners? Most heroes are alone, Robin. They know they can't have it all. With me you can."

"Not love!" the teen spat. He was feeling like the man had punched him in the gut, and couldn't really come up with a better argument at the moment,

"Love is overrated. It's a hormonal high that usually only lasts a few weeks. If you're lucky you're left with respect, mutual understanding and attraction, and you don't need to be in love for that."

"Well, I don't respect you and I don't understand you at all!" Robin snorted.

"One out of three for starters, then," the man smirked.

". . . "

"I'm making you speechless already?"

"I just can't believe what a complete jerk you are. This is not going to happen. Wait till Batman finds out…"

"Yes, speaking about that, we are about to arrive at the manor in a few minutes. I know you are upset, although I think that's rather silly, but I hope you can behave until we get inside? There will be cameras and perhaps even questions."

"I'll behave. But only because I know Bruce will rip you a new one," the teen muttered.

"Good boy," the man smiled.

Stepping out of the car was like entering a strange new world, full of shouting and flashing bright lights.

"Richard! Richard! Your face is red, what happened in the car?" someone shouted.

"What kind of wedding-cake are you going to have?

"Have you set the date?"

"Please, please, we'll hold a press-conference soon, but for now we ask to be left alone," Slade called out with a very authoritative voice which almost was enough to make the paparazzi heel. "Please do not forget that many families were torn apart today. We do not wish to belittle their grief by creating a media-circus, and I, personally, take full responsibility for starting it. It was a spur of a moment-thing… when I saw him running towards me, I… well…" Slade had drawn Robin closer and the teen tried not to look like he hated the man's guts. "But, please, this is a day for mourning and to show respect for the ones we have lost. There will be time for weddings later." With those final words Slade steered Robin through the gates and up to the manor, cameras still clicking away.

As they approached the door Alfred opened it to let them in.

"Hello, old man, we have very happy news," Slade grinned.

"Yes, Mr. Wilson, we saw it. Live."

"Oh, you are in SO much trouble," Robin grinned up at the mercenary, stepping away from him now when he could.

"As always," Slade shrugged and then noticed something. "What happened to the wall?"

"Oh, just some… earlier happy news," Alfred said dryly. "Bruce is expecting you in the library."

"The library has cheaper wall panels, I hope?" Slade muttered.

"I. Am. Going. To. Kill. You," where the first words Bruce said to the mercenary slash businessman.

"Making Robin an orphan twice? Because I would have to defend myself, and… well… That's cruel," Slade tutted.

"The wedding is not happening!" Bruce yelled. "Understood?"

"It is happening. Or should I remind you of the stakes?" Slade asked innocently.

"I didn't spend the last months idly watching you screw my ward-!" Bruce began.

"I should hope so," Slade shuddered.

"Shut up! I've made arrangements! Arrangements to keep Richard, Alfred and myself safe, as well as minimize the damages to Wayne Industries. With the Joker gone, so is one of our biggest threats-"

"You're welcome."

"SHUT UP!"

"He never shuts up," Robin muttered. "Not when you want him to."

"What I'm trying to say; expose us all you want! We'll protect ourselves and those we care for. And don't come running with the burglary-story again; it's been too long, and no one will believe you, not after you openly started dating him!"

"Hmm… maybe, although I can claim I just found out… maybe that it had all been a setup, and I've been swindled by our young male Mata Hari here… but it's a long-shot, perhaps. I would be more worried about your friends."

"Like I said, they will have help. Commissioner Gordon will-"

"Oh, I didn't mean just your Gotham friends… I meant friends like Clark. And Oliver. Wally, Roy, Dinah, Selina, Alan, Barry… need I go on?"

"How...? I mean…" Robin sent a desperate look at Bruce. Many of those people were in the Justice League, after all. "We… don't know what you're talking about!"

"Sure you don't," the man smirked. "Now," he continued, holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture, "I won't threaten you. It's been a long day, and it might be early, but all I want to do is to go to bed with my fiancé."

"This threat works both ways," Bruce growled. "If Robin refuses to marry you and you tell the world about us, your own company will suffer as well, you will lose all the good faith you have been gaining lately."

"I will. But my company also means much less to me than your family enterprise does to you. You are looking after an inheritance. Me, on the other hand, is always only one phone call away from draining all my company's resources into a personal, secret, bank account."

"But that would bankrupt your business over night! The whole U.S. economy might be affected! And think of all your employers!" Robin exclaimed.

"Yes…" Slade said, giving him a very meaningful look. "Think of them. Might I remind you that the benefits work both ways as well? My stocks have risen lately, yes, business is good, but so has Wayne industries'."

"It has?" Robin asked. He and Bruce seldom discussed business and the teen had been a bit too involved with his own problems lately to read the economy section.

"It has," Bruce admitted. "But it has nothing to do with-"

"It has everything to do 'with'. It began rising the day after the paper proclaimed that we were dating. The investors seem to be hoping that the next in line to take over the company won't be a bachelor playboy, but a settled young man who will focus on his job instead of parties."

"I told you that you should start dating, Bruce" Robin muttered.

"I'm willing to bet you that there will be a spike of interest in both our companies after tonight… a little something to ease the pain, perhaps?"

"Richard is not for sale, Slade," Bruce snarled.

"You can always donate the profits, I suppose," the man shrugged and took a few steps towards the door leading to the hallway. "I'm going to bed." He stopped to look over his shoulder at Robin. "Are you coming?"

The teen glanced at a seething Bruce and nodded. His world was spinning a bit at the moment, and he had to admit himself beaten… for now.

As they entered the teen's bedroom, Slade seemed to study it in detail.

"Hmmm…" he said with a smirk as he began to undress.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Robin asked irritably.

"Oh, nothing. I'm taking a shower," the man told him and stepped into the bathroom.

"That wasn't 'nothing'; that was a 'something' kind of 'hmm'!" Robin told him, following him inside.

"I might tell you later. Now, are you going to stare or give me some privacy? Oh, and I didn't bring my bags from the car so could you see if Bruce has any clothes for me to sleep in… or do you want me naked?"

"I think there's a suit of armor in the hallway…" Robin muttered, but slunk out of the room, wondering when he had sunk so low that it felt natural to follow the man in there in the first place.

The teen dreaded asking Bruce for the clothes, but the man just smirked and nodded. When the teen was handed the pile the smirk transferred to his face as well.

As soon as Slade stepped out of the bathroom, Robin went in.

"Your things are on the bed," he told the man before he locked the door to take his own shower in peace. He had expected maybe cursing as the man discovered what he had been lent, but instead, just as he turned on the water, the hero thought he heard a chuckle.

"So, how do I look?"

Robin couldn't hold back a laugh as the man spun around slowly, showing the outfit off. It wasn't anything weird, really, not a thong or anything, but it might just as well have been, considering how ridiculous it looked on the man. Bruce had lent him a pair of blue boxers with a pattern of yellow rubber ducks on them, as well as a t-shirt with a happy teddy bear on the front. Over the bear were the words 'Hugs makes me happy!' and under it the device; 'Thank you for supporting Happy Homes Orphanage.'

"Where did he get these?" Slade asked curiously.

"Oh, he always gets lots of stuff as thank you-gifts or for promotions. The boxers were some kind of gag-gift, I think. We collect all those things and give it to different help organizations… or you."

"Well, I can't argue with the words… hugs would make me very happy right now," the man smirked, clearly not only thinking about embraces.

"Yeah, well, tough, I'm not going to sleep with you," Robin snorted and put on his own underwear under the towel, before quickly getting into bed.

"The deal-"

"Yeah, fuck the deal, then, if you love it so much," the teen growled. "I'm not interested."

"Care to make a bet on that?" the man leered.

Fifteen minutes later Slade looked irritated. "I guess you really aren't interested," he said, as he had been unable to get the teen's body to respond to him at all.

"That's right. Some of us have some control, Slade," Robin smirked smugly.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes."

"Then why have you never showed any of that before?"

Robin found himself opening and closing his mouth, but there was nothing he could say that really made any sense. "That… because… I…" he tried, but gave up.

"Even from that first kiss in my office… that spark… it almost made the carpet catch on fire," the man smiled.

"There was no spark!"

"Of course there was, and you know it. I wouldn't have taken you into the bedroom if there wasn't."

"You… wouldn't?" Robin asked, stunned for a second. They were in bed, under the covers and facing each other. Slade had moved his hand from the teen's uninterested crotch to his hip, where his thumb was tracing a circle on his skin. Robin didn't really notice, however. "Wait, yes you would! You had been checking me out, you were already planning to blackmail me!"

"Yes, but that night I intended for you to leave embarrassed and confused. Not embarrassed, confused and freshly fucked," the man grinned.

"Yeah, sure, you were going to take things slow," the teen snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Not that slow. But really, Robin, do you think I would have pursued you if you had not reacted positively to me at all?"

"Ummm… yes? Easy question, next one?"

"I could have, but I would have considered if it was really worth it. Straight men make awful lovers."

"You thought I was straight!"

"I'm not an idiot. You don't kiss another man like that if you're not at least bi. Or very drunk and curious."

"Oh, shut up Slade! I know what this it! You are trying to come off as this misunderstood I'm-really-a-good guy now, because we all hate you. Stop and give up. I'll never give a damn about you!"

"Aha… so, what about what I saw when I came into the room, then?"

"What… what do you mean?" Robin asked and raised his head to look around worriedly. Had he, in an onset of madness, drawn hearts on the wall or something?

"You thought I was dead for at least two hours, I would think," the man began to explain. "And what did you do? Free yourself from the memories of me? Celebrating your freedom? No, you looked at the bird, and then put it back on the dresser for one thing… I know because of the thin layer of dust. Alfred really is getting too old… anyway, after that, then? You lay down on your bed. On 'your' side, not spread out. And you lay pretty much still. That's not usually what someone does when he's happy."

"I was in shock. But it was happy shock!" Robin claimed stubbornly.

"Sure it was. People who win a million dollars go through that too, but I don't think many of them curl up on the bed, clutching the phone their lover gave them."

"I wasn't-!"

"You answered almost before the first signal ended."

"…"

"Speechless again? I'm getting good at this. So… I've been gone two weeks. What have you been up to?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm only trying to have a conversation with you, as we obviously aren't going to have sex," the man told him.

Honestly, Robin was surprised that they weren't having sex that very moment, regardless of if he was aroused or not. Still, if the man was willing to hold back because of that, Robin felt the need to oblige him if he just wanted to talk.

"Weeeell…" the teen said, shifting a little. "I studied a lot… the exam was a bitch."

"Do you think you passed?"

"I think I aced it," Robin grinned.

"That's my boy. I'm proud; law is a tough subject to study."

Robin had to let the 'my boy' comment slide because Bruce, being busy reading something when he had told him about the exam, had just grunted. He had to talk to the man. Losing points to Slade like that was not good.

"So, it's tough, huh? Is that why you never adhere to the law?" the teen asked innocently.

"Yes, exactly," the man chuckled. "I can never remember the outcome of Green versus Goldman, so I just kill people."

Robin found himself laughing again, and cursed on the inside.

"Sorry. Keep forgetting you're a bastard," he muttered, as Slade smirked at the annoyed look on his face.

"That's a mistake so many do… don't worry about it," the man shrugged a shoulder, making the shirt stretch just a little bit extra over his chest. Not that Robin noticed. At all. "So, what else? The test was last Wednesday, after all. Did you go out with your friends from college? Patrol? There was that da Vinci-exhibition you wanted to see?"

"I… ummm…" Robin tried to think back. What had he done with his two weeks of freedom? The truth was… nothing much. "Well, I wanted to go, but… well…"

"You didn't want to go alone?"

"People were just busy, and-"

"I bet you didn't even ask anyone."

"I asked Bruce!"

"That's like asking the Pope if he has time for a few hours of paintball," the man snorted. "Bruce only enjoys art when he must."

"What? No, that's not true, he really likes…" Robin's voice faltered as he realized that Slade was right. "But… since I was a kid he has been going on and one about how art is important… that's how I got interested!"

"And that's how he was raised," Slade shrugged. "I suspect he prefers to tinker with things in his little cave in his free time instead of going to a museum."

"You might be right…" Robin mumbled.

"We'll go tomorrow, then. It's only in town for another two days," Slade decided.

Robin knew he was supposed to refuse to go anywhere with him, but he was really curious about the exhibition… so he nodded.

"Then it's decided. I'll call Wintergreen tomorrow to have him come over with something for me to wear. I could ask Bruce, but I'm too afraid I'll end up in a pink tux."

"Would look lovely on you," Robin mumbled and yawned.

"I'm sure it would. Goodnight, little bird," the man chuckled.

"Night," Robin found himself mumbling back. It couldn't be more than nine in the evening, but he was dead tired. He rolled over, away from the man, and tensed. He didn't know how Slade had done it, but he wasn't as 'uninterested' as he had been anymore. He heard the man chuckle smugly behind him but ignored it. Half hard was not an erection. It was just… misplaced blood.

Although he fell asleep on the edge of the bed, as far away from Slade as he could, he woke up in the middle of the mattress, wrapped in the man's arms.

For a moment, just a short moment, Robin allowed himself to forget who was holding him and just enjoy the feeling. The covers had slipped down a little, probably hogged by Slade who was a bastard when he was asleep as well, but that made the warmth from the man's body feel even better, and the teen wanted to snuggle into it.

He couldn't let himself do that, however, and the more he woke up the more vividly he remembered the day before, both the extreme highs and the lows. He didn't think his psyche could take another day like that.

Robin carefully wormed his way out of the embrace, expecting Slade to wake up at any moment, but the man just rolled over. The clock read five-thirty in the morning, and he guessed the man was just tired. Well, Robin wasn't going to wake him up. He slipped a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt on and left.

After grabbing a banana in the kitchen he ended up in the Batcave. He had no idea what to do down there, until he saw the gym section, and, more specifically, the sandbag.

Twenty minutes later and the teen had worked up a sweat. He had begun by just beating the poor thing mercilessly, but was now practicing combinations.

"So, here you are."

Robin spun around as he heard Slade's voice. "How did you get down here?"

"Was it supposed to be difficult?" the man asked innocently. He was wearing the trousers from his suit from last night, but, for some unimaginable reason, he had kept that stupid t-shirt on.

Robin just gave his 'fiancé' a blank stare and then pointed. "On the mats. Now."

"Wouldn't you prefer the bed?" the man smirked.

"Not for fighting, no," the teen growled. "And we're going to fight, Slade. I'm not going to hold back and neither should you."

"Fine. But your face is off limits, which means no head butting either. It wouldn't look good if you appeared the day after our engagement with a black eye."

"What do you mean my face? How about yours? Or are you so damn sure of yourself you don't think I can get a hit in?" the teen snorted.

"No, I know you are a very good fighter," Slade shrugged. "And after this session you will probably see for yourself why you hitting me won't matter."

"Fine. Be all enigmatic, then," the teen muttered and crouched slightly. "Let's see how you pull that off with a broken nose."

Despite his glib words, Robin didn't just throw himself into the fight. He had never really seen Slade in action, he had mostly heard him, and then the man had been armed, so he didn't know what to expect now. After a few kick-block-punch-block combinations the fight heated up and got more imaginative. Five minutes in Robin realized that the man was good. Really good. Ten minutes in he was beginning to wonder if Slade was actually better than him. He was holding his own, though, and the man didn't seem to be cutting him any slack, although the hits might have been a bit restrained. The teen still felt them, however, and worked hard to avoid them.

The mats covered a big area of the floor, and that was needed because they were all over the place. Somehow they had silently agreed that they should stay within their limits, and when Robin made the man put a foot outside to keep his balance, the teen grinned. The man snorted, but nodded, admitting that the hero had won that point. Not that anyone was counting, at least not Robin. The fight was far too complicated than that. Suddenly the teen hesitated.

"Damn it!"

"What?" Slade asked, perplexed.

"You made me enjoy myself again! How do you do that?"

"Charm, good looks and sex-appeal," the man chuckled.

"Well, stop it!" the teen snorted.

"What's so horrible about enjoining yourself?" Slade asked curiously.

"Everything, when it comes to you," Robin spat. "Guard up, let's go."

"Fine, but I warn you… you'll only have fun again," the mercenary told him.

Slade was right. It didn't take many minutes for Robin to forget his anger once more. On the other hand he had been trained to let his anger go when he was fighting, because those kinds of emotions only clouded his judgment, but that didn't mean he usually felt elated when taking down criminals. He was getting the workout of a lifetime as well; even Batman didn't work him this hard, and the man kept him on his toes, introducing new moves and styles all the time. How could he not enjoy that?

Somehow the fight turned more playful after a while, and when Robin managed to trip the man, making him fall backwards, he didn't, in fact, follow through with a kick to the man's head or throat, but jumped on him instead, in an effort to pin him to the mat. The effect was a bit like a kitten trying to pin a full grown German Shepherd, but Slade just chuckled and stayed down. Robin told himself that he did know a few pressure-points to push if the man hadn't, but for now he just straddled him and tried to catch his breath.

"Having fun again?" Slade smirked, actually folding his hands behind his head, looking more relaxed when defeated.

"Of course I am. I won," Robin smirked back.

"Very well. You were better than I dared hope, actually," the man told him. "You are a very clever fighter."

Robin looked away, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed.

He noticed a scrape on the man's elbow. He knew Slade had gotten it earlier when the man had rolled away from a kick. The elbow had caught the floor between two mats which had slid apart during the fight, and they had taken a breather to put them back again. His eyes widened. The wound was healing itself in front of his eyes.

"What… how…?"

"Oh. That," Slade said as he noticed what the teen was staring at. "See now how it doesn't matter if you punch me in the face?"

"Are… are you even human?" Robin asked, beginning to get to his feet. Slade's hands caught his hips, though, and held him in place.

"Yes. I am. The JL didn't have any details about me, then?"

"Just your name and occupation. A few mission details…" Robin, who had been pouring over any scrap of information, said. "So… are you human or not?"

"I am," Slade told him. "I'm just slightly… enhanced. And no, not in that way. That's all natural."

"Pervert."

"Don't look at me, you were thinking it."

"You… you can read minds?" Robin paled.

Slade grinned for a moment and then sighed. "No. No, it would have been so much fun to claim that I could, but alas… although why you would be so worried about that, I can't understand… you claim you hate me, so those thoughts in your head wouldn't have surprised me… or are you afraid I'll see something… contradicting?"

"You wish," the teen muttered, but sagged from relief at the same time. His brain was a bit screwed up at times, and he didn't want the man to know.

"Actually…" the man said thoughtfully, "I don't think you have said you hate me in a very long time…"

"Oh, I hate you," Robin muttered.

"Well, just as long as we're clear," the man chuckled.

"So… who are you?" the teen asked.

The man looked up at him, let go of Robin's hips and folded his hands behind his head again. "Fine. I'll tell you. I guess it's time, anyway… I was sixteen when I joined the army, and then served in the Korean war-"

"Korea? But that would make you-"

"Would you like me to continue?"

"I'm dating a senior citizen?"

"I'm dating someone raised by a giant bat?" Slade countered in the same incredulous tone of voice. "As I was saying, after that I was assigned to Camp Washington and promoted to Major…"

The story continued for almost forty minutes, sometimes interrupted by questions from Robin.

"I can't believe the army just dumped you like that… the ones responsible should go to jail," the teen muttered, for once actually upset on Slade's behalf.

"It has helped me to keep my abilities, if not a secret, then more of a rumor," Slade said.

"Does this… does this make you immortal?" the teen wanted to know.

"No, not at all. Chop my head off and I'll die, for example. Oh, and that was not invitation to try it," the man smirked.

"So, if you had really been on that plane…?"

"As it was such a devastating crash, I doubt I would have made it," Slade told him. "If my body, heart or brain is injured enough, I'll die, just like anyone else."

"So that's what you meant with that people 'would have to work for it'… those who wants you dead?"

"Yes."

"Wow." Robin didn't quite know what to think. Slade's story somehow made the man more human, not less. The things he had seen, the horrors he had been through… it didn't excuse him blackmailing him now, of course, and it didn't explain it either.

"You can have anyone."

"I'm not sure whether to reply with 'thank you' or 'excuse me?'," Slade chuckled.

"It's just… why me?"

"Why anyone? What creates that special interest?" the man asked back. "You are absolutely stunning, Robin. Those big, blue eyes, the raven hair, the lithe, muscled body…Your brilliant mind, the way you move, the way you speak… and damn, the way you fight..."

"Careful there, Slade, you sound like you're in love with me," the teen grinned.

"All I know is that I want you," Slade told him and sat up, slowly, so Robin slid down into his lap. "I want you more than I ever wanted anyone before."

The teen didn't find any reply before the man simply pulled him close and kissed him.

"You… could have just… asked me out," Robin breathed as they parted.

"I forgot how to ask a long time ago. I learned how to take," the man told him and kissed him again.

"What's going on here!"

"Bruce!" Robin flew up from Slade's lap with guilt written all over his face. "We were just… I… he…"

"Get out of here. Both of you. Right now," the bat growled.

"But I… I didn't mean to-" Robin stuttered.

"I'm sure you kissed him by accident," his mentor snarled. "We'll talk about this later. I can't even look at you right now."

"We should shower and have breakfast if we want to catch that exhibition early," Slade said and got to his feet as well, his pace leisurely, firmly demonstrating that he wasn't being chased out at all.

He led the way to the elevator and Robin followed, trying to figure out what to say to Bruce, to explain, but he couldn't really defend his actions even to himself. He had been kissed, yes, but he had kissed back as well.

As the doors closed behind them Slade gave him a look and shook his head. "Your mentor hasn't seen us together at our best times, Robin, remember that. In his world every one of the pictures of us in the papers where you were smiling has just been acting, nothing else. Because I doubt you have told him when you have been having a good time, have you?"

"No… I haven't… how could I? It would be like betraying him!" Robin complained as the elevator set off with a faint hum.

"Him? This has really very little to do with Bruce," Slade told him.

"He'll be just as much affected as I will be if you expose us, maybe more!" the young hero objected.

"As will Alfred, but I doubt he's taking it personally," the man replied.

Robin was quiet for a while as they were getting closer to the ground floor. Then something else, which had been trying to get his attention, suddenly did.

"Did you hear the elevator? Did you know he was coming down?" he asked the man suspiciously.

"Oh, Robin, I'm not that conniving," the man grinned. "Making sure he'd find us in a compromising situation? Putting a wedge between you two? Me?"

"Fuck you."

"I was kidding, I really had no idea."

"Sure you didn't."

"I was distracted."

"Right."

"Please, you were sitting in my lap, I wouldn't have heard an atom bomb going off behind me," the man snorted.

Robin chuckled but then gave the man a glare. "You're still under suspicion."

"When am I not?" Slade shrugged.

As Slade took his shower Robin couldn't help himself. He accessed the security footage from the cave through his computer and checked it carefully. The film showed the exact moment the elevator left until the moment it descended again and the doors opened to reveal a stunned Bruce Wayne. Slade, on the other hand, didn't as much as pause, glance towards it, or cock his head at any moment, there wasn't a single sign that the man had had any clue that someone was about to surprise them. Robin lowered his suspicions towards the man from ninety-nine percent to about seventy. He wouldn't go lower than that.

As they were having breakfast, served by an Alfred who had just happened to burn only Slade's toast a bit much, there was a signal at the gates.

"Your driver is here," Alfred informed the mercenary reluctantly.

"Thank you, please let him in, he's here with some clothes of mine," Slade nodded.

Alfred glanced at Robin, who just shrugged and nodded.

A few minutes later the butler returned with Wintergreen in tow. The driver stopped dead at the sight of his employer.

"Sir… what are you wearing?"

After the workout Alfred had been asked to find another t-shirt and a pair of trousers for the man and he had outdone himself. The pants were a pair of neon-green sweats, and the t-shirt, although black, was adorned with a large Batman symbol.

"You should have seen the other one," Slade muttered. "Did you bring what I asked you to?"

"Of course, Sir. A selection of suits ranging from every day to special occasions, sleepwear and work-out clothes."

"Wait… I thought you just needed a suit?" Robin asked "You're… you're not moving in, are you?"

"Hardly, it's just for emergencies." Slade snorted. "Well, I'm going to go change. Mr. Pennyworth, would you get Wintergreen some tea, please? Here, take my seat," he told his driver and got up.

"You don't want help with the bags?" Wintergreen asked him, and Slade chuckled.

"I think I can handle it, old friend," he grinned and patted the man on his shoulder. "You keep my fiancé from running away in the mean time, alright?"

"Not sure I could be any help there, but I'll try," Wintergreen chuckled and gave the teen a smile. Robin grinned back and shook his head.

The elderly men studied each other furtively as Alfred served the tea. The butler then decided to break the silence.

"So, you work for Mr. Wilson, then?"

"Yes. I assume I pretty much have the same role you do," Wintergreen shrugged.

"Although my employer isn't an evil, blackmailing-"

"Al!" Robin objected. "Although that's all true about Slade, it's hardly Wintergreens fault, is it?"

"Besides, as I understand it, your own employer is rather… special, as well." the driver nodded.

"You… know?" Robin gasped.

"Yes. Besides, he keeps calling you Robin in my presence," Wintergreen said, and rolled his eyes. "He thinks he's so smart…"

Robin chuckled, but then got serious.

"Actually, Slade told me about his history today… and he told me about you too... about the prison camp? You have saved each other's lives lots of times, haven't you?"

"That's true. He's a friend first and an employer second. I guess he likes to have someone close to him who knows who he really is… although now he has you as well."

"Umm… sorry?" Robin said, as the man sounded a bit… sad.

"No, no, I'm glad he does. I'm getting old. There should be someone to keep him in line," the man grinned.

"Yeah, about that… he told me about some of your adventures, and I… well… it's clear that he really cares about you, but… there hasn't been… I mean... you've never…?"

"Oh, no, I'm strictly a ladies' man… and not a bad one in my day, may I add," Wintergreen chuckled.

"You two are speaking like Mr. Wilson and this man all but grew up together, but that's not possible. Slade is not old enough to-" Alfred began.

"I'll tell you later," Robin said. "And Al… Bruce will come up soon and he'll be in a bad mood and… screw it… he saw us kiss."

"You and Slade?"Alfred exclaimed, forgetting all about the 'Mr. Wilson'-thing.

"No, me and Wintergreen…" Robin muttered. "Yes, me and Slade. In the bat-cave. Moment of insanity or something, I don't know."

"I don't understand; you kiss all the time," Wintergreen cut in.

"Not all the time!" Robin hissed. "Just sometimes. When he wants to."

"Hmmm…" both the elderly men hummed at the same time.

"Ready to leave?" Slade asked, coming in to the breakfast room.

"Yes, people are humming at me again," Robin mumbled and stood up, just as Wintergreen did.

"Are they now?" the man said and eyed the other men suspiciously.

"Hmmm…" they both went again, making the teen burst out laughing.

"I see how that can be annoying," Slade admitted. "Let's go, I have called ahead and warned the museum, and they have promised to try to keep any press outside."

"You think they are still here?" Robin asked, looking towards the distant gates.

"Quite a few of them, I'm afraid, Mr. Grayson," Wintergreen told them.

"We have also had to double the manor's security, there's been several attempts to breech it tonight," Alfred let them know.

"I'm sorry for the trouble," Slade told him. "It will lessen as soon as we find an apartment of our own."

"Our own what now?" Robin asked.

"Did you want to continue living with your dad? Or at my office?" Slade asked.

"No, but-"

"I have a few places lined up for us to look at after lunch."

"Lovely," Robin sighed.

The exhibition had been every bit as interesting as Robin had hoped and they then ate at the museum itself, at it's simple but nice cafeteria- like restaurant. The guards did a good job keeping people who weren't here for the artwork out, and the field had thinned since Slade had paid a teen to go yell that he had seen the pair leave in the cab out back. It didn't fool all of them, though, and they were still followed as they went to meet up with the real estate agent.

Robin had to admit one thing: both he and Slade pretty much agreed on what they wanted in a home: security, privacy, several ways to easily come and go, preferably unnoticed, and as sound proof as possible. They both seemed to like original features, and Gotham City had a lot of Art Deco ones to offer.

Robin had not been happy about the whole thing in the beginning, but he had been caught up in it by the time they viewed the third place, and now they were entering the fifth one. Besides, he had given up on the idea that Slade would let this marriage-thing go. He might still be able to stop the actual wedding, and hopefully the way there would be long and winding, but these first steps he was doomed to endure, and he knew it.

"This is a gem; one of Gotham's oldest skyscrapers. The whole building was fully renovated only two years ago, all the piping and wiring was exchanged and it was also properly insulated. Hard wood floors throughout, as you will find," the agent began before they had barely entered the place. The woman was enthusiastic, as most sales people are, but she was also thorough and seemed honest enough as she had pointed out some flaws at the previous places, like a botched tiling-job and so on.

"It's huge," Robin said, looking around the bright, open space which was immaculately decorated, obviously for a sale; no one was living here.

"You will find that it's perfect for entertaining," the woman went on, "This is what I call the 'public' area, for guests, leading into this large and fully equipped modern kitchen. There's a guest bathroom through that door. If you would come through here, please?" Both men followed her like obedient dogs. "These are your more private rooms, a smaller sitting room for your entertainment systems, I would like you to note that a surround-sound system is built into the walls should you choose to use it. And here it the library, of course you can use the space as you please, but I imagined it would make a great home office," she went on. "It's all been freshly painted, throughout, but if you would like anything changed before you move in that's easily arranged. Now, here it is… the Master bedroom," she said, with that little extra bit of drama in her voice, as she opened a pair of huge double doors. Robin was used to luxury, but even he drew a breath as he saw the fantastic view of the city spreading out on two sides. An absolutely massive four-poster bed looked small in the space. "I hope you have noticed the wrap-around balcony which you can access from here as well? Oh, and there are sliding glass doors which you can lock if you have gusted and you don't want them to stay at the 'front' of the apartment so to speak. Now, the walk in closet is state of the art," she added and opened a door to something that could have easily been a small double bedroom. "And, of course, there's an ensuite bathroom as well, with both a shower and bath. Now, follow me, boys," she told them again and, once more, they did. "This is the second bedroom," she told them and opened a door to a room just slightly smaller than the master suite. "You didn't specify the number of bedrooms, but I thought this would be perfect if you one day decide that you'd want to have… well…" she faltered a little, maybe realizing that she might be getting out of line.

"A home gym," Slade said.

"Yes. Would be perfect for a home gym!" Robin agreed quickly.

"Absolutely!" the broker smiled without missing a beat. "Now, I'll let you walk around on your own for a while. As you might have noticed in the elevator, this is the top floor, and the floor below is used for storage and maintenance, so it is very private. Thanks to the surrounding park areas there are also no building directly overlooking this, and the windows have been specially treated to reflect light, making them not true one-way windows, but close to it. You are also close to the city's most famous restaurants and clubs. Oh, and I forgot the best part!" she added and went to unlock a door Robin hadn't noticed before. "Take a look up there!" she grinned.

They climbed a small, winding staircase and opened the door to find themselves outside on a huge roof patio, stretching across almost all of the building.

"This is yours as well. Parties, barbecues… a garden, perhaps? It also has its own helicopter-pad. The former owners have left this to your own imagination… Isn't it amazing?"

Robin had to agree, and Slade as well, it seemed. "We'll talk it over, but I think we'll take it," the man said. "What is the asking-price?"

"Seventy-eight million," the woman said without blinking.

"What do you think?" Slade asked Robin. The teen, even though he thought that it was all a bit grand for a fake engagement, had to agree that, for his Robin activates, it couldn't be better. It was even walking distance to the university.

"It's great," he smiled.

"When can we move in?" Slade asked the agent.

"Well, no one is living here at the moment, but removing the furniture-"

"Eighty million, the furniture stays and we take possession in two days. It will all be paid in full."

"I'll… I'll… call my clients." The woman, for once, seemed a bit speechless.

"So we have a place to live," Slade affirmed as they left the building by a sneaky back way the broker showed them. They had Wintergreen continue to wait for them outside as that would keep the vultures with cameras busy. "Now… I think the ring is next."

"Do we have to?" Robin groaned.

"Of course we do. You must have something to brag about, after all," the man smirked.

"Well, if so, rather a piece of jewelry than bragging about you I guess," the teen shrugged.

"Ouch."

"Well, you said as much yourself!" Robin grinned.

"I'm in the mood to buy you something horribly glittery right now," the man warned him.

"That is a very strange threat, but, as a man, I'm shivering," Robin admitted.

"That is all I want… keep you shivering…" the man leered.

There was a small but exclusive jewelry store close by and they entered it. Luckily, the place happened to be empty, but there was quite a buzz from the staff as they were spotted.

"We've just escaped the paparazzi, so any of you thinking of twittering that we are here might do well to remember that it won't make us come back for the wedding rings," Slade told them all quickly. Two of them removed their hands from their pockets, and, probably, their cell phones. "Now, brag all you want after we leave, but give us a fifteen minutes head start. Agreed?"

"Sir, of course, Sir, we would never dream of talking about a client-" a middle-aged man, probably the owner or supervisor, said as he hurried to meet them.

"Yes, yes, I know how this works," Slade told him.

"Well, Sir, secrets are hard to keep sometimes," the man complained and glared at his employees. "Now… is this visit about… the ring?"

Robin almost burst out laughing. The way the man sounded it was like the gold band he imagined leaving with would demand a quick stroll into Mordor.

"It is. Would you show us what you have in stock, please?"

"Of course. I would also like to point out that we have a selection of rings for this occasion, catering especially to males. We move with the times here at Smiths Goldsmiths, and-"

"May we see them?"Slade interrupted.

Robin had hoped for something without a stone, but Slade wouldn't hear of it. In the end a ring with a single, square cut diamond was chosen, the cut making it at least a bit less feminine.

"It fits you perfectly, Sir," the owner gushed. "Like it was made for you! Not a thing needed to be done! Will you keep it on or would you like a box?"

"He'll keep it on," the mercenary confirmed before the teen had had time to answer. "I can't parade you around town without a ring on your finger after last night, now, can I?" the man added with a grin.

"Um, can I have a chain as well?" Robin asked Slade. "For… when I can't wear it?"

"Of course, it would be better to keep it out of the way for when you're… playing sports and such," the man nodded, picking up on the teen's hint.

"Might I suggest this?" the owner said. "Twenty-two karat gold, same color as the ring and it has a clever little hoop here to attach it to. It will display it beautifully, and it's both safe and much easier to use as you won't have to take the chain off."

"We'll take it," Slade decided and a few minutes later they were out the door.

Robin all but fell into the car a while later, the early morning, the long fight and everything else, made the late afternoon feel like one in the morning.

"Tired?" the man asked with a smile as the teen let his head fall back against the seat, looking like he was going to sleep that very instant.

"Mmmm… it's exhausting spending your money," Robin muttered.

"Oh, you'll get used to it."

"I have my own."

"Mostly you have Bruce's; you are unemployed after all."

"I'm a student!" Robin objected.

"Same thing."

"Well, I have funds of my own too…" the teen mumbled sullenly.

"Easy there, I wasn't going to imply that you are kept," Slade smirked.

"Sounded like it."

"I admit it did. I apologize."

Robin opened his eyes and glanced over at the man. "You apologize about that, but you're fine with threatening me with the lives of my family and friends?"

"You sound like I do that constantly," the man snorted.

"Don't you?"

"No, now stop questioning me or Superman dies."

"Ha-ha, very funny."

"I thought so too."

"Where are we going?" Robin, who hadn't heard what Slade had told Wintergreen, asked.

"To the manor."

"But what if Bruce-"

"Bruce and I have some things to discuss," Slade said firmly.

"Don't-"

"I'll try not to."

Back at the manor the news about the apartment hunt and the ring was all over the local gossip channels already, and Bruce, who normally never watched the stuff, was caught up to what they had been doing. His eyes landed directly on Robin's left hand as soon as the 'couple' entered the sitting room.

"Take that off. You're not wearing that thing in this house," he growled to the teen.

Robin blushed and slipped the ring off his finger, feeling both embarrassed and upset at once. He had not done anything wrong here, damn it, and now Bruce was treating him like crap too?

Wintergreen had followed them inside and Slade turned to the man.

"Will, I think it would be best if you would wait here. We're going out for dinner and to meet a few reporters this evening… I hope Mr. Pennyworth can provide some tea and a place to relax until we need you, could you, Alfred?"

"Of course, Mr. Wilson," Alfred nodded. He had hospitality in his blood, after all, and had already decided that this Wintergreen fellow might not be as bad after all. "If you would follow me?"

"I'd rather not have any of you in my house," Bruce told Slade harshly.

"Yes, well, that won't be a problem in a few days," Slade shrugged. "Which reminds me, Robin, you should ask Alfred to help you start packing."

"I won't let you take him away!" Bruce spat.

"Stop with the over-protective father-thing," the mercenary snorted, "you have let him fight crime since he was nine!"

"That has nothing to do with-"

"No, it doesn't," Slade cut in and raised his hands. "Let me start over. This wedding is going to happen. I expect you to act like the happy father-of-the-groom in public, but I don't expect that in private. I hope, though, that we at least can try to be civil."

"Why would I want to be civil with you?" Bruce snorted.

"Well… I could have you pay for the wedding…" Slade chuckled.

Robin knew that Bruce had been balancing on the edge of reason since this whole thing began, but had been holding back for all their sakes. Like the teen, the man had hoped they would find a way out or that Slade would simply let him go, and hadn't wanted to endanger them further by doing anything rash… but now… Robin could almost hear the 'snap'. Slade, on the other hand, seemed strangely oblivious as he continued. "You won't have to, of course, but, if asked, you should claim that we split the costs or it would seem strange… and we might want the hold the wedding here, what do you say, Ro-" A fist crashed into Slade's face at that stage.

Robin stood frozen for a moment as the fight raged in front of him, but then he simply turned and left, closing the door behind him. He went to search for Alfred and found the butler having tea and sandwiches with Wintergreen in the kitchen.

"They are fighting," he said numbly.

"Good heavens, where?" Alfred said and stood up.

"The small sitting room."

"Oh. Well, nothing too valuable in there, I guess," the butler said.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Wintergreen asked.

"I don't know…" Robin mumbled. "I'll be in the cave."

One hour later the teen was kneeling by his bike, idly tinkering with it, as the elevator doors opened to reveal Bruce.

"He didn't kill you, then?" Robin said listlessly.

"Not for lack of trying," Bruce muttered and clutched his ribs.

"He wasn't really, though, was he?"

"No," the man admitted after a while. "He could have done worse."

"I know, I fought his this morning."

"Is that what you call it?" Bruce snorted but then shook his head. "Sorry."

"Yeah, sorry is fucking right!" Robin growled and stood up, throwing down the screwdriver he had been holding. "Unless a miracle happens and he decides to give me up, I can't see a way out of this!" the teen told his mentor, raising his voice. "And I'm the one who has to live with him, Bruce! Me! He has already punished me once for what you decided to do, and he could do so at any time again! But he hasn't! Not yet! I don't know why, but he doesn't seem to want to make things worse for some reason! I know you're angry, I am too, but-"

"Are you? Are you sure you're not in love with him? Wasn't that what you were trying to tell me that time? That you were falling for him? You were kissing him, Robin! He's corrupted you somehow, and-"

"And so what? We're having sex, Bruce! And no, not last night! He didn't force me!"

"So one time he didn't' rape you? What a good guy!" the hero drawled.

"Last night was the first time I really said no."

"What?"

"The first time… it happened quickly and I can't say I wanted it, but I didn't fight. I was being blackmailed, yes, but I could have challenged him more, I could have fought it…I could at least had yelled for help or something, but I didn't. Last night I refused, and he knew I was being serious. So he stopped."

"So he's not a monster? Is that what you are saying?" the man growled.

Robin stood up straighter. "Yes. Yes, Bruce, that's what I'm saying. He's not a monster. A monster wouldn't care about my objections, would never listen to my opinion. He's manipulative, I know, but he's not a monster."

"I think that's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said about me," Slade's voice echoed through the cave.

"Shut up, Slade," Bruce and Robin said as one.

"I'm not here to cause more trouble; I was just looking for Robin. Are you too tired for dinner? Would you like to cancel?"

"When had you planned for it to be?" the teen asked.

"In two hours, beginning with a short Q and A with five selected reporters, fifteen minutes at most."

"Sure, we'll do it… I just need to take a nap," the teen said. "And another shower," he added, looking down on his oil stained hands.

"Wait, we're not done here!" Bruce exclaimed. "You want me to just accept this!"

"I think he just wants to keep his family," Slade said.

"Threatening us again?" Bruce snarled.

"No. I just meant that the strain needless fighting is causing, is taking a toll. Robin needs you, but if he feels like you are judging him, that he can't come to you…"

The Dark Knight looked stunned.

"I'm not… I mean…"

"We'll talk more later, Bruce," Robin sighed. "I really need some rest now…"

The small press-conference wasn't really that bad. It was all 'let's see the ring' and 'how much did it cost?' When they were asked if they had set a date, Robin really expected Slade to say something like 'tomorrow' but the man just told them that no, they hadn't started planning yet.

"Richard, one last question, our readers really wants to know this," a female reporter said. "When you first met, did Slade use any kind of pick-up line? Or was it you who pursued him?"

"I think that's two questions, but fine," Robin grinned. He was good at keeping his mask up, and this was an opportunity to get back at the man. "It was Slade who made the first move. He told me I reminded him of his big toe."

"What? How?" the reporter asked.

"He said he, sooner or later, was bound to bang me on a table," the teen smirked, making the room, after a short moment of shock, burst out laughing.

"And that clearly worked?" the reported half asked, half stated.

"Nah, I decided never to speak to the pervert again… but he's persistent," Robin shrugged.

"That I am," Slade chuckled and kissed his hair.

Dinner was a bit annoying, constantly interrupted by congratulations from both strangers and acquaintances, but Robin was also still a bit tired.

"Do you want to go back to the manor or my place?" Slade asked after they had gotten into the car.

"The manor," Robin replied.

"I thought you might want to stay clear of Bruce for a while?"

"Nope, that's not the way to deal with him," Robin sighed. "I can't believe I stood up for you."

"Why?"

"Why? What a stupid question! Anyway, what it comes down to, as he told me himself once… you wouldn't save him."

"Excuse me?"

"You wouldn't save Batman."

"When? How?"

"If he had been the one attacked by the Joker… you wouldn't have lifted a finger."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Um… because you hate him?"

"I don't hate Bruce!" Slade chuckled, "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"You… don't?"

"No, I respect him. He's a pro, both in a suit and in a... well… Bat-suit. He takes the playboy act a little far sometimes, but I can understand why he wants people to think he's a bit shallow… I'm glad he hasn't forced you into that persona as well, though."

"But would you help him?"

"To about a year ago… probably not. I rarely get involved in things unless I'm paid to."

"A year? What happened then?"

"You caught my eye," the man smirked.

"You've been… interested in me a whole year?"

"Slightly more, about a year since our first time, I should say… you had just turned seventeen, and it was the spring formal."

"Wait, but that was attacked… by the Penguin and his guys!" Robin gaped.

"Yes, I saw you save five people's lives that night, and that was before you could sneak away and change," Slade smiled. "I was very impressed, especially as you did it in ways so that no one noticed… although you didn't see that chandelier…"

"Someone pulled me to safety; just lifted me by my arm like I weighed nothing and… that was you? When I turned around, there was no one there."

"Guilty."

"That random explosion too? Which sank their escape boat?"

"Me as well. I was rather annoyed with them, after all. I had planned on asking you to dance later."

Robin stared at the man. "This is too weird for words… and then you waited a year?"

"You were only seventeen, people would frown."

"Yeah, because a year makes so much difference," Robin snorted.

"I didn't want the word 'pedophile' popping up," the man shrugged.

"Pedo-? Why in the world would-?" Robin was both stunned and slightly insulted. Slade was older, yes; a lot older as he now knew, but the teen didn't exactly consider himself as a kid. It had actually been a long time since he had done that. "Okay, forget that… I still wish you had done this the old fashioned way…"

"Would you have dated me?"

"Maybe. Although I had my suspicions about you even back then…" Robin admitted.

"Clever boy," the man just chuckled.

"Maybe… if you stopped blackmailing me…?"

"No."

"What do you mean 'no', you haven't even heard it yet!" Robin snorted. "Just shut up for a moment. I think it's pretty clear that you want me, I mean, duh!" the teen continued, "but you keep making this about other people, and that's just wrong."

"I'm sorry Robin, but I'm not letting you go."

"Then make it about me! Make the threat about me and only me! Like… if I try to leave you will … kill me?"

"Do you think I could kill you?" the man asked seriously.

"If you expose us, all of us, you might as well. Because I won't run and hide, Slade, I'll face the ones that will come for us. All of them. And I'll fight."

"I'll protect you. And Batman will too."

"So you'll put me in danger and then try to save me? That's pretty screwed up!"

"We're pretty screwed up. The world too. It fits perfectly," the man smirked.

"I'll just ask you to try to think of a way to make this about me? Please?" Robin begged.

"Very well… I will try. But for now, the deal stands."

"Fine… good," Robin nodded.

"Now, that that's out of the way… do you know who else is 'pretty screwed'?" the man leered.

"Wayne Manor, Sir," Wintergreen announced their destination.

"Damn. Bad timing there, old friend."

"With all due respect, Sir, I don't think a pun like that would have gotten you laid," the driver said dryly.

Robin was still laughing when they reached the front door.

The tension was as tense as tension got, really, as they entered the mansion.

"Did you have a good time?" Bruce asked Robin.

"It was okay. I'm tired, though."

"That joke was a bit… crude." his mentor said.

"Yeah."

"Alfred laughed."

"He did?" Robin blinked.

"A chuckle. He hid it pretty well."

"Dirty old man."

They looked at each other for a moment and then Bruce sighed and opened his arms. Robin flew into them and hugged the man back.

"I love you, Richard. I'm not mad at you, I just want you to be happy, and it kills me that… but I'm not mad at you. I'm not."

"Love you too," Robin mumbled, the ache in his throat threatening to turn into a sob.

Slade, wisely enough, left them alone.

Robin opened his bedroom door to find the man already in bed, reading. He went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and change, and then joined the man under the covers.

"Did it go well?" Slade asked, putting the book away.

"Yeah…" Robin mumbled and let himself be pulled closer. "I think we're good."

"Good."The man tipped the hero's head back and kissed him. Robin kissed back. It's been another long day and he needed to unwind. Let go. Slade was very good at helping him with that. He pushed the man over on his back and straddled him.

"Picking things up from this morning?" Slade smirked.

"We've never done it like this," Robin responded confidently, the image only slightly ruined by a faint blush across his cheeks.

"You're right," Slade nodded. "I think you are going to like it. You're in control like this. You can choose how fast, how deep…"

"Oh, I can torture you," the teen grinned.

"Might not turn out to be my favorite position, though…" the man muttered.

"I think this begs to differ," the teen smirked and put a hand down the man's underwear.

"It always does," Slade said sullenly, making the teen chuckle.

"I know, mine is stupid that way too," he admitted.

"Are you very attached to this pair of underwear?"

"No? Why?" Robin asked, but got his answer as Slade grabbed them and ripped them apart.

"Saves time," the man shrugged.

Robin just rolled his eyes and reached for the bedside table where he knew the lube was.

"Are you sure you're ready so quickly, it's been a while?" Slade reminded him.

"I'm sure," Robin grinned as he slicked the man up. "I don't mind a little bit of pain…"

"Sorry, little bird, but I'm not going to have you limping down to breakfast, because then Bruce will try to kill me again, and worse; Alfred will try to burn the tea. Come here," he said and grabbed the teen's hips, lifting him up as he scooted down the bed.

"But what are you doing?" the inexperienced hero half gasped, half laughed. "Watch out or I'm gonna sit on your fa-aahhhh-ce! Oh… god…. Slade! That's… just…. don't ever stop!" Robin could feel himself about to come already, but he was able to hold back just long enough.

"I think you're ready, and I want you to come while I'm inside you," Slade smirked from between Robin's thighs.

"Then get in there! Now!" the teen moaned and scooted down as quickly as he could. The moment he felt the tip of the man's cock against his opening he pushed down on it, gasping as it slid in.

Robin threw his head back, closed his eyes and just enjoyed sinking down, filling himself. It was an amazingly intense feeling, and Slade had been right; he was in charge. He wanted it all, though, and sat quite firmly on the man's body.

"MMmmmm… this… this I like!" he groaned and then, carefully, began to experiment with lifting himself up a little. "Mmm… and this I like even more," he admitted with chuckle.

"I quite… agree," Slade told him, the man's voice full of concentration.

"Are you trying not to come?" Robin asked with a laugh and rotated his hips a little bit.

"Are you trying to stop me?" the man retorted.

"Wouldn't dream of it," the teen smirked and began to move very slowly, up and down. "You're a very dirty man, Slade. I only read about people doing that thing…"

"Well, you did take two showers today," the man pointed out cheekily.

"I'll never, ever do it to you, though. Sorry. Maybe fingers, but not…"

"I promise I won't ask you to, if you do one thing, right now."

"What?"

"Ride me faster, damn it!"

Robin grinned and did. He felt the need to come as well, and he was much closer than Slade was, he thought. Turned out he was wrong as they came at almost the same time.

"You have classes today, don't you?" Slade asked as he was getting dressed the next morning, waking Robin up.

"Shit! What time is it?" Robin exclaimed, bolting upright.

"Only seven-thirty, you're not running late," the man said. "I'm more in a hurry, though. I've arranged a few body-guards for you."

"Why? What for?"

"Paparazzi. Don't worry; this interest will probably die down soon and not rise again until the wedding, if even then. At least those grieving the crash victims will have fewer cameras shoved in their faces than they would have otherwise."

"Yeah, guess so," Robin muttered, and decided that he had little to complain about, really.

"I won't see you until dinner," the man told him. "The Rose Gardens again, at nine."

"Wait, do we really have to go out again tonight? Can't we just stay here? I'll speak to Alfred, he won't burn anything," Robin promised.

"Hmmm… I'm not very used to staying in, so I didn't consider that. Very well, we'll do it. Although, perhaps we won't eat with Bruce?"

"He'll be working anyway," Robin shrugged.

"Fine then. See you tonight," Slade nodded and left.

Robin's classmates, of whom he only knew a few by name, whispered a bit behind his back but were generally laid back. Their generation wasn't very impressed with a couple of rich guys getting married; it took a bit more than that. The school had a strict safety policy and as long as he was on school ground he was left alone by the press, and Slade's body guards did a good job at being discreet.

The teen had lunch at the school cafeteria, studied a bit and then it was time for the second class of the day. He had been very lucky so that the two classes he was taking both were on the same day, mornings and afternoons, and only twice a week, which meant that he was free five days a week. Free to study, fight crime and plan weddings, that was.

It was nice to stay in, but their dinner was interrupted by Alfred.

"Master Richard, Master Bruce requires your presence. There has been a… call."

"For goodness sake, Al, you can say the Bat-signal, it's not like he doesn't know," Robin chuckled. "Don't wait up!" he added to Slade and ran off. This would actually be his first real mission since the Joker-thing, because Batman had mainly kept him busy with research, and the teen himself had been feeling a bit off as well until recently.

That night Robin was in one of his weirdest fights yet, and that was saying something. He and Batman had been staking out a department store which had received some threats, and, when a few suspects showed up, Robin, who was covering that part of the huge building, jumped down to catch them. They took one look at him and then ran. Grown, bulky, men, running like scared little boys from their neighbor's bulldog. Robin looked behind himself to be absolutely sure Godzilla wasn't standing there, and then he ran after them. It was rather easy to catch up as most of these low-lives didn't favor a healthy lifestyle and had started wheezing after fifty yards. He caught them trying to climb a fence.

"Hey, what's with the running, guys? No one wants to play with me?" The teen regretted those words immediately as they gave him strange, inappropriate, associations, but soldiered on.

"We've heard! Don't call for him!" one of the men begged.

"Who? Batman?" Robin asked.

"No, D-Deathstroke!" another one said. "We know what he did. One who survived said he was there to help you!"

"Well, he was," Robin shrugged.

"The word on the street is that if someone touches you he's dead," a third one muttered.

"You're really that scared of him?" the hero asked. The men didn't answer, just stared at him like he was crazy. "Very well, I won't say a word if you are good chaps and sit down. You can either have a chat with the police or Deathstroke," the young man smirked and crossed his arms, He never expected it to work, not for a second, but it did. Batman, who showed up a minute later, was just as stunned.

"This explains some things…" the man muttered when they watched the police pick the men up.

"Like what?"

"Like why the people I have fought lately asked where you where, and seemed relieved when they realized you weren't there," the man told him.

"Ow. I don't know it that hurts or is rather awesome," Robin said.

"Me neither," Batman confessed.

The next morning Robin was reminded of reality again over breakfast. Bruce had opted for a coffee on the go, so it was just him and Slade.

"I will sign the contract for the apartment at lunch today and get the keys, are you all packed?" the man asked.

"Um… I… haven't started," Robin admitted.

"You just need to bring the essentials, clothes, whatever personal items you can't be without right now… you can always pick up the rest later."

Robin looked around the brightly lit breakfast room and felt a twinge of sadness. He was eighteen for goodness sake, that was old enough to move. This was his safe harbor, though, the place he could just be himself. He didn't want to leave. He knew he had little choice, though.

"I'll do it today."

"Good. And if you're working on a case, you can always spend the night here," Slade told him. Robin glanced up at man across the table. Was he trying to comfort him? "As long as it's not too frequently, of course," the mercenary added.

"Okay."

"And we have to start planning the wedding as well. I'll see you at the apartment, or should I say at home, after work. Be there at six."

Robin stood outside the door, not sure if he should open it or ring the doorbell. In the end he refused to feel like a guest in what was supposed to be his own home, so he grabbed the door handle. It was open.

"Are you always this lax about security?" Robin asked as he spotted Slade in the kitchen, of all places.

"Not the 'hi, honey, I'm home' I was hoping for, but it will do," the man smirked.

"Are you unpacking groceries?" the teen asked.

"It seems they won't do it themselves. Who knew?" the man deadpanned.

"Yeah, but… right," Robin trailed off, not quite knowing where he was going with the subject anyway. "I'll go lock up."

"Do that. And before I forget, catch!"

Robin caught the object and looked at it. A key. His key.

"Thanks," he muttered and pocketed it.

"Oh, and Robin?"

"Yes?"

"Bruce might have his rules, but in this house, you'll wear your ring."

"Sir, yes, Sir," Robin muttered dryly and unclasped it from the chain.

After locking the door Robin walked around aimlessly for a while, before coming back to the kitchen where Slade was finishing up.

"So, you went shopping after work?" the teen asked.

"Hardly. I asked Alfred who your grocery supplier was and hired them as well. It's very convenient. I can't picture Alfred or Bruce popping down to the closest seven-eleven for milk and toilet paper."

"They thought of everything, didn't they?" Robin said and eyed the spice-rack.

"I asked for a sort of 'start-up-kit'," the man chuckled. "I told them it should be for two men who won't do much cooking on their own… I didn't want the fridge packed with asparagus and raw chicken."

"You don't know how to cook?" Robin asked.

"Do you?"

The teen had to admit that Alfred had done the cooking, and he had never been very interested in the culinary arts.

"Umm… how about Wintergreen?"

"William and I are military men. We know how to heat beans in our own helmets, that's pretty much it," Slade shrugged.

"We're a bit pathetic," Robin chuckled.

"I think we'll live. Speaking about how pathetic and helpless we are, there will be a cleaning service coming around once a week."

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm not used to strangers snooping around, what if they spot something?"

"That's another matter, follow me," the man said and led the teen through the apartment. "Remember the 'gym'?"

"Yeah?"

"I thought we could actually use it as one," the man said, gesturing at the space, "But install a security door which only opens to us. Then we could keep both of our gear in here, and tech as well. You might want a computer hooked up to the Batcave for example? Because I assume that you want to keep your night job?"

"Of course I do!" Robin exclaimed.

"Easy, hot head, I'm just making sure," Slade chuckled. "Now, should we try to cook dinner?"

"I was not aware that you could burn spaghetti," Robin said an hour later.

"I thought the box called for an unnecessary amount of water," Slade muttered.

"The sauce, if I might point that out, was perfect," the teen smirked.

"It came from a can, Robin."

"But it needed heating!"

"Which you did in the microwave, which now needs cleaning. Badly."

"So… first attempts, zero points?" Robin sighed and reached for the cardboard container with fried shrimp.

"I think we actually ended up on a negative number. I was going to suggest boiled eggs for breakfast, but I'm not sure we'll survive that," the man admitted.

Robin burst out laughing and Slade chuckled a bit.

"Going out for breakfast it is. How did you manage before?"

"My secretary ordered my meals at the office," Slade shrugged.

"But on 'missions?" the teen asked.

"There's a surprising number of McDonalds restaurants around…" the man deadpanned. "But seriously, you eat what you can when you can, you don't exactly cook… and I can last quite a long time without food if I absolutely have to. Now, about the wedding-"

"And there you killed the mood…" Robin sighed.

"No more whining, boy, it will happen. The proposals have been flooding the office, and-"

"Great! Pick one of them, someone who actually wants to marry you!" Robin snorted.

"Business-proposals," Slade clarified dryly. "From wedding-planners and the like. They all seem to think it will take at least six months to put anything together at all."

"Oh, at least a year, I should think!" Robin nodded.

"Two months, tops," Slade snorted. "And that's just because finding an appropriate place for the ceremony might be difficult on short notice."

"You were talking about the manor?" the teen remembered.

"Yes, but I had second thoughts about that, and not only because of the imprint of your mentor's fist in my jaw-bone," Slade said. "I think it would be less friction if we have it somewhere more neutral."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Besides, it doesn't need to be big, right?"

"I was thinking two hundred people."

"Two hundred? I don't even know two hundred people! Not unless I arrested them!"

"This is not about the people we know, it's about the once we want to know."

"Still that makes it about four. Including a certain son of a diplomat."

"Who?"

"Oh… err… don't you mind, not important."

"I hope not or we will have a little international faux pas when his head gets misplaced."

"Yeah, yeah… doesn't know I'm alive anyway," Robin muttered.

"Smart of him. Now, are there any more than Bruce and Alfred you want invited?"

The teen thought about it but then shrugged and shook his head. "No, I'm not that close to anyone."

"Very well, I'll have the planner and my secretary handle the guest list. I have a company picked out, by the way, unless you want-"

"Listen, Slade! I don't want anything of this, okay?" Robin snapped. "I just don't care! So pick whoever you want and invite whoever you want and I'll just show up and say 'I do' or whatever!"

"It wouldn't look right if you weren't a bit more involved than that," Slade told him. "So you will be. And behave."

"Or you'll destroy my family."

"No, or I'll spank you."

"What?"

"You told me to make it about you. That's what I came up with. Marry me or I'll spank you."

"Um… heh… that's not… I mean… what?" Robin half stuttered, half chuckled. "A spanking? That's it? Should I pull my pants down right now?"

"Mmm… I like the sound of that. But I should perhaps add that if you refuse to marry me I'll still hold on to you. I'll just take you away somewhere and keep you there."

"Okay, more serious now," Robin growled.

"But it's what you asked for: none of your family or hero-associates gets hurt. You won't get to see them again, sure, but their secrets are safe."

"Yeah… guess that's what I wanted…" the teen sighed.

"One more thing…"

"Oh, god, what now?" the hero whined.

"I have cancelled the death-paragraph."

"The 'die-mysteriously-and-your-lawyers-will-take-action'-thing?" Robin blinked.

"Yes."

"So if they find you in the desert, impaled on a spear of ice with a rubber duck in your mouth… nothing will happen?"

"Nothing like that, anyway. I'll be a bit annoyed, though."

"Aren't you afraid Batman might…?"

"Not particularly. Actually, I hope not, because if he does, that will end up destroying your family anyway. He's not a killer, not like that. He wouldn't be able to handle it. Or would you like him to try?"

"No. He already offered, when he first found out. He could have done it then, and I think he could do it now as well, for me, but there's no way I'd let him… because you're right. It would destroy him."

A week later the apartment was done, with the extra security installed. Robin still felt like he was living in a hotel-room, but wasn't inclined to go out and buy new furniture either. They had gotten what they had begun to simply call 'the room' done, however, and it was his favorite place.

At the moment he was smiling and making polite conversation, mingling with what, apparently, were fifty of his closest friends and family. It was a housewarming and engagement party in one, and Robin wished he had something stronger than non-alcoholic cider in his glass.

People kept slapping him on the back and yank on his arm to get to see the ring up close. There was also something a bit more worrying going on, which why was the teen slid up to his fiancé and subtly pulled on his arm.

"Yes?" Slade asked as they had taken a few steps away from the crowd.

"Don't freak out now," Robin whispered, "but I think people are flirting with me."

"Of course they are."

"But they didn't do that before! Not this much or this… obviously!"

"There will always be people who want to pit their own attraction against someone else's, and they are not interested unless they have competition. Some might be content with just getting a smile back, some won't be happy until they sleep with you."

"But… that's not…"

"…going to happen, no," the man chuckled.

"No, of course not, but I meant… they are invited to our wedding, damn it! Or will be! Don't they have any shame?"

"Most of them, no," the man shrugged. "Although some are feeling rejected, I'm sure."

"Rejected?"

"Yes, you see the woman over there? Her father approached Bruce when you turned sixteen about setting you two up. Same with the blonde girl by the punch bowl."

"Approached…? Are you serious? That's like arranged marriages!" the teen snorted.

"And how do you think the rich and the powerful do it? Oh, it's not out in the open and the kids seldom have a clue, but children have always been, and will always be, resources to their parents. They want them to be happy, yes, but to most of them happiness means a good marriage. Preferably to someone richer than them…"

"But I'm gay," the teen mumbled.

"Yes, and Bruce turned them down. But he has also been approached by the father of the young man over there…" the man nodded to his right and the teen's eyes widened.

"But that's my… I mean… that's…"

"The diplomat's son? Yes, I suspected as much. You have run into each other a bit, haven't you?"

"I… yes... but… Bruce wouldn't-?"

"Make you marry someone you didn't love? No. Subtly introduce you to someone he thought was appropriate for you to marry? Absolutely." The man looked down on him and chuckled, pulling him close. "You are so damn adorably naïve about some things…" he said and kissed him, to the entertainment of most of their guests.

As the night proceeded Robin was trying to see what Slade had shown him, and he also tried to see the men in the room with different eyes. He used to play the if-they-all-were-gay game to entertain himself at parties and he did so now as well. There were lots of handsome men there. Well… not lots… a few, he guessed. That one used some kind of oil in his hair which just looked icky… too short… to thin… to chubby… too childish… his eyes when landed on Almir, who he tended to call 'the Diplomat's son' in his head, even though he had know his name for a good while. Robin had always found him handsome, but wasn't that smile a bit… oily? And those gorgeous brown eyes, weren't they a bit calculating? And the way he acted… the teen had thought it was his foreign manners but… wasn't he just rude? A bit of a bully, covering it up with laughs and gestures. Robin frowned and looked away, his eyes drawn to Slade instead. He made himself move on, but came back to the man again and again until he realized something rather horrible; if he had to marry one of the men in this room… Slade was probably at the top of the list. Sure, there were probably nicer men here, but those seemed so damn boring… and there might be funnier men, but those just acted like clowns… He hated to admit it, but no one quite compared to the mercenary; the way he moved in the crowd, the way he spoke… the way he looked in that tux…

"Master Richard?"

"Huh? Alfred, you scared the living daylights out of me!" Robin gasped.

"Yes, I apologize, I can see that you are busy… looking…" the man said meaningfully.

"Um… yeah… just thinking…" Robin squirmed under that look. How come the man always made him feel like admitting that he took the cookies?

"I just wanted to give you this," the man said and handed a present over.

"Oh, there's a gift-table…?" Robin gestured vaguely. "…Somewhere?"

"I'm afraid this doesn't quite fit within that range of gifts," the man mumbled. "And I wanted to give it to you personally."

"Alfred, you know it's worth more than the whole table of gifts combined because it's from you!" Robin snorted. "Should I open it, then?"

"Please do," the old man beamed. "It's nothing, a little silly…"

What Robin found was a cookbook, full of handwritten recipes and even illustrated instructions. He was speechless.

"I started this long ago… I hope you forgive me, but I always assumed that you would be in dire need of it."

"I… Yes! Good god, Alfred, you might have saved our lives! Thank you! Is your spaghetti sauce in here? Because the canned stuff killed our microwave."

"Did you remove the lid?"

"I… err… details…" Robin muttered, blushing.

"How will you ever manage without me, I wonder…?" the old butler smiled.

"It's evident that I can't…" Robin smiled back and hugged the old man hard. "I miss you. And not just the food."

"Good to know, young Master…" the man mumbled. "We both miss you terribly as well."

Two days later Robin found himself in a tight spot. He had been out working all night, was a bit tired, and had no idea how to deal with this. As the door opened to reveal his husband-to-be, the teen flew up from the couch with a million-dollar-smile on his face.

"Thank god you're home, honey!" he exclaimed.

"Well, that's certainly nice to hear," Slade grinned. "Hello, ladies and Mr…?"

"I'm Miss Anas, we spoke on the phone," a woman dressed mostly in lilac smiled, hurrying up to Slade before Robin had had a chance to introduce them. "These three are my assistants." Obviously the two younger women and the rather gaily dressed man weren't important enough to be introduced by names, because not even Robin had been told what they were.

"Yes, the first appointment was today, now I remember," Slade said and actually sent an apologizing look Robin's way, but the teen didn't know if it was acting or real.

"Oh, we just started," the woman claimed.

"Yes, just… one hour ago…" Robin muttered. "Slade, may I speak to you for a moment? Miss Anas, could you lay out the samples you were talking about? Thank you."

Robin dragged the man into 'the Room' and closed the doors.

"Remind me, we made sure this room is absolutely soundproof, didn't we?"

"Yes, we tested it too," Slade nodded.

"Good. THEY ARE DRIVING ME INSANE! THEY ARE INSANE! THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT EGGSHELL AND SEASHELL AND MAGNOLIA AND IVORY AND THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE! THEY ARE ALL WHITE! AND THEY WANT ME TO PICK! AND-Mmmfp!"

Slade had had to put his hand over the teen's mouth at that point, because his ears hurt.

"Then just pick. What's so difficult about that?" Slade asked.

"BEACUASE-Mmmmp! Because I keep picking the wrong thing!"

"How can it be wrong if it's all the same?"

"I DON'T KNOW! But they are staring at me like I'm an idiot! And like I should know better! I don't know better, Slade! I don't care about shades! I'm a man! They think I'm a woman! That gay guy cares! Oh, god, does this mean I'm not really gay?"

"I'm pretty sure you are," Slade chuckled. "You're just not used to dealing with these kinds of people, let your future husband show you how…" the man smirked.

Slade stalked out of the room with a curious Robin following him and walked up to the woman.

"Miss Anas, I've heard you are one of the best in the business, and both Richard and I are very busy men. You have the budget, try to stick to it, send me a few suggestions for locations once you find them, and put together a nice, classic wedding and dinner for us, please. We don't need to be bothered with the details, I think."

"Of course, of course, so many are busy nowadays… just one little question…?" the woman said.

Another hour later Robin could swear he saw little beads of sweat on Slade's forehead.

"So you want the pale blue and white roses, then, dear?" Miss Anas asked.

"Yes. We definitely want those," Slade nodded, looking relieved that a decision had been made.

"Ah, very good. What about the tablecloth?"

"But we already decided on the linen with-"

"-with the embroidered vine-pattern, yes, but you can't have that with roses, of course, it would ruin the concept."

"Yes, that would completely ruin the concept," Robin grinned.

"What… would NOT ruin the concept?" Slade growled.

"Oh, you have many to choose from there! Charles, darling, get me the book. And we need to look at the napkins again, of course. And the invitations. And the-"

"Maybe we shouldn't go with the blue roses?" Slade suggested, having the wedding planners stare at him.

"But Slade, my dear!" Miss Anas, who wasn't one for formalities, unless they involved weddings, sighed. "It was such a good choice for you!"

"Yes, you want me to be happy, don't you?" Robin asked, trying out using his eyelashes like he had seen bimbos at parties do. There might be something to it, because the man caved immediately.

"Of course I do."

"Then blue roses it is," Robin smirked. "Say… when do we get to the seating arrangements?"

"You enjoyed that." It was a statement and an accusation all at once.

"I little bit, yes. It's nice to watch you squirm. Thought you would kill them at one point, though," Robin grinned at Slade, who was taking an aspirin. "Hey, I didn't know you could get headaches?"

"Neither did I."

"He-he, Slade Wilson, meet your match. The Lilac Planning Witch!"

"As I work full time and you only study half time, you will have to deal with her more often, though," Slade smirked.

"What? No! That's not fair!" Robin exclaimed.

"Tough. But a warning…"

"Yeah?"

"Don't you dare change the flowers!"

The weeks seemed to fly by, and, with it, the fear among the criminals in Gotham began to fade and Robin got to put some effort in again. The general agreement now was that it had just been a fluke that Deathstroke showed up and that someone probably put a prize on the Joker's head. Not all seemed to believe that, however…

It was the day before the big day, or actually the night before. Only twelve hours to go. Robin had claimed that, since it was bad luck seeing each other before the wedding and crap, he should be out on patrol. Slade, who kindly didn't point out the huge flaw with that argument; that they would see each other anyway when the hero came back and the next morning, had told him not to break anything or get killed.

The night was darker than usual as there was no moon to speak of, just a slither behind thin clouds and smog. Robin had found nothing more to do than to break up a gang-fight, which didn't take much. Batman wasn't working tonight and hadn't sent anything his way either, so the teen was just patrolling without any specific aim… until he heard a laugh. He knew that laugh. But it couldn't be. The Joker was dead!

To Be Continued…

A/N: now don't scream! *waits for the screaming to stop* Done yet? Will you let me tell you when this will be continued? Good. TOMORROW! See? No need to be so annoyed, you don't have time to read anymore today anyway. 28 pages is enough. ;)

Disclaimers/Credits

Bakafirekitsunesama provided the name for the wedding planner: Miss Anas, which means "duck" in latin!

Noirakasha helped with the name of the jewelry store; "Smiths Goldsmiths", which I thought was funny.

The pick-up line Robin claims Slade used is not mine, it's an old classic and exists in a few different variations. I love it though.

Yaoigurl12 namedCharles, the gay wedding planner assistant.

Wildfire2 helped with several plot-elements, but I'm gonna tell you with what tomorrow… ;)