A/N Happy B-day Darkfire359 (December 24)

This is the first of TWO stories today, and they also belong together and has to be read in order.

When I read the prompts for today's story they didn't seem similar to me, but when I started to think about scenarios I found that I kept mixing the two stories up in my head and then it hit me: one long story in two parts(26 pages in total). That means SOME compromise, but not a whole lot, really…

So, for this first part, the b-day girl pointed out that most of my stories are from Robin's point of view, about his woes about falling for, or being attracted to, a villain, and she wanted the roles switches, so that we followed Slade after he had realized that he was in love with Robin, because, as she said, she didn't think he'd be quite alright with that. Fucking him against any available surface, yes, but "big bad" falling in LOVE with a goody two shoes hero? He'd kick himself. And yeah… I think she's right… At least in this story.. .;)

She also suggested an AU story, but that was an optional, so I decided to keep it canon (well, the starting point is canon, and a mix of the comic and cartoon), because that was more interesting to me. She also said that Slade shouldn't be nice, just because he's in love, maybe the opposite because it frustrates him, so yes, there are some of that as well…

There's no dark-warnings on this, though, although it's not exactly cozy all the time… it probably would be darker if it was all from Robin's POV, as we now find out what Slade's is thinking, but he hasn't a clue.. ;) So, yes, this is all Slade… it was surprisingly easy, actually, and maybe I should try to mix it up a bit more in the future…

A Man's Love, part 1

Slade had loved in his time. He had loved Addie, at least. Lili, well she was most of a fling, and with Patricia… that had been mostly about the sex, but that just proved that he knew the difference. And he loved Robin. Did he want to? No. Had he tried to stop? Hell yes. He was sure it was just because the boy stood up to him, knew how to fight. He told himself that he wasn't attracted to him, to a male body, no matter how slim and limber it was. A voice inside him had snorted though, saying that he was Deathstroke the Terminator, and he could be attracted, he could fuck, whoever he damn well pleased. To do whatever he wanted was so engraved in his very core that he finally came to accept the fact that he was drawn to the young man, and, not long after, he decided to do something about it. He doubted Robin would ever accept his advances, but watching him from the shadows just wasn't enough anymore. He tried to make the teen his apprentice, and that had worked. For a while. But then he had escaped and not even helping him save the world from a demon, risking never getting his body back, had been enough to get closer to him again. So, one night, he had snuck into Titans Tower.

Slade had watched the teen sleep for a little while, still in his uniform after the Titan's last mission. He had looked peaceful. So peaceful, in fact, that the man had contemplated leaving because, if he went through with his plans, he doubted the boy would sleep like that again. Not for a very long time, at least. But he wasn't a man who backed down easily and one quick step, a hand over the teen's face and a jab of a needle, and it was done. Carrying the unconscious hero out of the Tower was so easy it wasn't worth mentioning.

He took him away at once, far away from Jump, far away from where his friends would look, to an abandoned army base built into the mountains. He had acquired this place long ago, and wiped all records of it from the army's database. Only people old enough to remember working here would know where it was, and they would be retired by now. He had restored it and installed enough security so not even a hiker could come within a mile of it without Slade knowing about it, and he had spent just as much time building the room.

He couldn't see Robin cramped up; the bird couldn't possibly live in a cage. That's why he had so readily sent him out on missions as an apprentice, even though he knew that the risk of his secret blackmail being discovered became grater each time, but no, the hero shouldn't live in a cage… so he had built him an aviary.

The room was vast, making the large double bed standing against a wall look tiny. There weren't any windows, just small, thick glass plates in the ceiling where natural light was led in through a system of mirrors, just to give the prisoner a sense of time passing. All the lights in the room were controlled from within it, though, and could be turned on and off by Robin as he pleased.

In one corner there was a gym and large mats for sparring, as well as wooden sparring dolls. There was a big book case filled with everything from books about engineering and history to the classics and contemporary literature. Slade had taken a look at the teen's own bookshelf and mimicked the genres, and whatever book Robin wanted, he got. Right now he was reading Catcher in the Rye.

There were no electronic devices, however; no TV, no computer, because the hero was far too clever when it came to those things, and could probably rebuild a toaster into a missile launcher. Slade smiled proudly at the thought. He liked that his… his… that Robin was resourceful. By the bookcase stood a comfy sofa and soft chairs to curl up in while reading, a door led into a private bathroom, fully equipped, of course, and a dresser and a closet which were full of clothes for the teen to use as he wanted. There was a dinging group to eat at and a cabinet with snacks that didn't need to be prepared, like fruit, crackers, cereal, and the like. A small refrigerator was built into the wall, impossible to pull out, and contained some milk, juice and sandwich toppings. These were all there just in case Robin felt peckish; Slade brought him proper hot meals three times a day and ate with him.

There was one thing in the room he assumed Robin was surprised to see when he had woken up: one of the walls by the gym was covered in weapons. There were no guns or sharp blades, however, but bo-staffs, escrima sticks, nunchuks, wooden practice swords and the like, all free for Robin to use… and did he ever. There were also climbing ropes hanging from rafters in the ceiling, and, for the first couple of days, the teen had spent more time up there than on the floor, of course attacking Slade every time the man entered the room.

Slade had taken away his mask and uniform, though, before the teen had woken up. It wasn't only to make sure the boy didn't have any weapons other than those Slade had supplied, but also because taking away part of his identity would, he hoped, help him connect with the teen. When he had been his apprentice Slade had forced Robin to wear his own colors, but that would only alienate him more. The clothes he now provided were simple, store-bought ones, in a large array of colors, materials and styles, so the teen would be able to chose his own, but he couldn't hide behind a mask and a symbol anymore. Robin had acted like it hadn't bothered him, but Slade knew it had. Soon, however, the man had taken his own mask off, and now he never wore any part of his uniform inside the aviary, just jeans or sweat pants with a t-shirt most of the time. He spent a lot of time, as much as he could, with Robin.

In the beginning, the first couple of days, the teen had attacked at any opportunity. Every time Slade walked in, certainly, but also every time the man turned his back or even his head. Slade had blocked the attacks and retaliated just enough to leave the teen panting and cursing on the floor, and then walked away, continuing with what he was doing, only to have Robin attack again a moment later. It had almost been funny. The teen was like a wild animal, either hiding or going after his throat. Those days were also filled with screamed insults and threats, but, after four or five days more questions had entered the mix. 'What do you want?', 'Where am I?', Where are my friends?', 'What have you done to them?'. Those had been asked from the beginning as well, but yelled then, and now Robin was really desperate for an answer, trying to get Slade to negotiate with him. The man answered all the questions he could, readily, although the 'What do you want?' one wasn't an easy one and he didn't tell the teen the whole truth, letting him come to the conclusion that Slade wanted him as an apprentice again.

After the questions came the days of silence. But now Robin had figured out that Slade wasn't trying to force him to do anything, and wouldn't hurt him if he didn't attack first, so he simply decided not to cooperate at all. He didn't read, he didn't work out, he barely ate and showered, and, more importantly, he didn't talk to Slade or as much as looked at him. The man gave him some space, working out in the gym by himself, mostly, because the teen tended to at least watch him then, even though he pretended not to. The teen was especially interested when Slade sparred with one of the wooden dummies. The man assumed it was the young man's built-in eagerness to learn that was the cause, and he began a running monologue explaining what he was doing, and why. And then, almost three weeks after his capture, Robin asked a question.

It was a simple one, just about balance and the angle of a kick, and when Slade offered to teach him the teen withdrew again, but his resolve had, slowly, began to crack.

It had now been almost three months. Slade had watched carefully for any signs of deeper depression, anything that might make the teen harm himself in any way, but the design of the aviary had helped. There was so much space and enough opportunities for Robin to exploit that he still hadn't been disheartened, not fully, anyway. He had begun to come to terms with the fact that he would probably be stuck here for a while, though, but he didn't seem overly worried, not after Slade had ensured him that his team had been left unharmed.

The steel door slid quickly to the side, into its slot in the wall, and Slade stepped through. It shut just as quickly behind him. Robin had been informed, and shown, in the beginning that it didn't have any form of security measure, so if you tried to throw your hand out to stop it from closing, you would lose it. The door also required Slade's hand-print and a security code to open, and the code changed every day, being programmed by the man from the outside before he entered, so knocking Slade out wouldn't mean freedom. Not that the teen stopped trying just because of that little detail.

He didn't see Robin anywhere when he walked in, and continued on, expecting to be attacked from above at any minute. He had a bag of food with him and started to set the cartons out on the table. He had bought dinner this time, as he had needed to go into the nearest town for supplies anyway. The base was in the middle of nowhere, a wasteland surrounding it as far as the eye could see, and it was quite a drive to go for supplies, meaning he preferred to buy large amounts of food and cook it from scratch himself. He was a competent cook, if nothing else, and he always made sure that the food was healthy and tasty. Sometimes, however, one needed to indulge, and today it was Chinese food on the menu. He had set it all out, however, without Robin turning up, so Slade raised his head to look up into the rafters. He liked to think of them as 'monkey bars' but had never told Robin that. He didn't want the teen to suspect that he had installed them just for him, it was better if Robin thought they were a design flaw he could take advantage of.

At the moment the rafters were bird free, however, and Slade was on the verge of starting to look for the teen when the bathroom door opened and Robin stepped out wearing just a towel. the hero stopped, hesitating for a moment and then continued to his dresser. Slade turned his back and smirked. He had taken showers himself in that bathroom after workout sessions, a small, lecherous part of him hoping Robin would attack him in there, but that, sadly, had never happened. He didn't walk around half naked for no reason at all, of course, but it was all part of his plan to make Robin see that he was, in fact, human. Well. Mostly.

"Did you already work out?" he asked, still keeping his back to the boy in an trust exercise, an 'I respect your privacy' show, at least, if not a 'I trust you not to attack me' because they hadn't gotten quite that far yet.

"Yeah, you said you were going to head out, so…" Robin answered. It had been a great triumph to Slade when the young man had begun actually conversing with him, a big step towards 'taming' him.

"It's fine, I was just hoping for some sparring later, I admit," the man nodded. Robin came around the table into his line of vision and Slade, with a pang of excitement, realized that he had actually gotten dressed without withdrawing back into the bathroom.

"Yes, well… I was bored."

"My fault for leaving you alone all morning," Slade shrugged. "I hope you like Chinese? I had to reheat it, but it should still be good."

"Are there any shrimp?"

Slade handed Robin the right box while putting some rice on his plate. He preferred eating off plates when he could instead from boxes, and Robin seemed to agree by mimicking him.

The cutlery was real steel, even though none of the weapons were. Slade didn't want to give Robin the impression that he feared him, after all, although giving the teen a gun would just be stupid. He heard a small chuckle and looked up to see Robin smirking at him.

"Can't use chopsticks, Slade?"

"Of course I can, I just find them inefficient."

"Then you're not using them right," the teen told him.

"Is that so?" Slade smirked back and switched to the chopsticks just to prove the teen wrong. He dropped a piece of pork on purpose just to hear the young man snicker.

What the hell is wrong with me… I'm acting like a schoolboy trying to get his crush's attention… Slade thought sarcastically to himself, a bit of self revulsion surfacing. He never chased after anyone, they tended to just fall for him. Without much effort from his side at least. But Robin never would. Slade wasn't delusional, he knew that the teen was most likely as straight as he had always believed he was himself, and if not, there was no reason for the hero to be interested in a man who had not only hurt him and his teammates and threatened his city, but also were old enough to be his grandfather. Robin didn't even have any idea that Slade wanted him. The man hadn't touched him in any inappropriate ways, apart from slamming him into the wall a few times, but surely no sexual ways, and he had never said anything to make the hero suspect that there was anything… personal… going on here.

"Do I laugh at you when you can't even block three strikes in a row?" he grinned at his prisoner, who snorted, and muttered something under his breath.

In his darker moments, Slade considered rape. To just throw the teen down on the bed and take what he wanted. But if he did, he knew it all would be lost; Robin would never see him as a human being again, and Slade wouldn't be able to face that kind of accusation in those blue eyes. If that happened… he would have to close those eyes forever.

He had considered that as well; snapping the hero's neck, quickly and painlessly, when he least expected it and just leave him here, in this tomb, forever. Better that, than to see him every day, talk to him, be close to him, but never, ever be allowed to... do more. Say more. Show more. Having this relationship stay one-sided forever.

Whenever he had those thoughts, however, he promised himself to at least give it a year. Just to see how close the boy would let him, how things would evolve. There was no use giving up too soon, after all. On the other hand, he had to make some sort of progress.

"Are the shrimps any good?" Slade asked and reached out for one. He was used to be the one to carry the conversation, even though it had gotten better lately.

"Yeah, and that sauce is excellent," Robin answered, indicating one of the containers with his eating utensils.

"Don't point with your chopsticks, that's bad manners," Slade told him, although with a small smile on his lips to show that he wasn't serious.

"You'd be surprised to hear," Robin said calmly, "That in some countries kidnapping is considered bad manners as well."

"You don't say? There are some strange cultures out there…" Slade chuckled. "But speaking about the food, try the pork as well."

"It's good, but the stew the other day was better. What was that meat?"

"Deer."

"Really? Deer?" Robin blinked.

"Yes, it's the hunting season and the store had some for sale."

"It was good."

"Well, if you liked it…" Slade said and decided to take a very big risk. "Maybe you would like to go hunting?"

Something inside him cringed at the way the teen's eyes lit up for a second, just at the mention of being allowed to leave, Slade had never expected him to love this room, of course, but he knew it wasn't just the room Robin wanted to get away from. It was him as well. The light was replaced by a slight frown, however.

"Hunting? To… kill a deer?"

"Yes, well, the shrimp and the pigs we are eating of course died of natural causes and happily as well, but, sometimes, humans do kill for food," Slade said dryly.

Robin chuckled, a good reaction, better than anticipated at least.

"Yes, but I've never actually… hunted before."

"Not to kill, perhaps, and not animals," Slade smirked. "But don't tell me you haven't hunted, Robin."

"Well, fine," the teen shrugged, something wistful in his eyes.

"Hunting for food is very similar; the same adrenaline, the same rush…"

"Yes, but the killing…" Robin looked a bit uncomfortable, but Slade could see he was still interested.

"Yes, to see an animal fall after a shot, see it kick on the ground, bleed out-"

"You're not exactly selling it here, Slade."

"It's not about cruelty. The best moment is that perfect shot. The instant kill. The one where you know the target is dead before it hits the ground."

"Why do I have a feeling you're just not talking about animals here?" the teen shuddered, but the spark of interest was lit and was burning brightly.

"There's a place I think might be suitable close by. It would give us a perfect line of sight to take that kind of kill shot, and we, of course would only take one deer… and if you don't want to shoot, I won't make you, but you should at least take aim, just to see what it feels like… I mean, unless you're not bored enough…?"

"I won't have to kill anything?"

"No. But I expect you to help me with the meat… that is, if we have any luck…"

Slade knew that the prospect of getting out, the promise to not having to actually do anything and the extra hope that no animals might wander into their path, would be too much for Robin to resist, and he was right.

"Okay… when do we leave?"

"Early tomorrow morning. And Robin, I might as well tell you now: we are very far from civilization, so even if you got away from me, I will most likely be able to catch up with you, especially as you won't be carrying any provisions. I won't blame you for trying to run, I truly won't, but it will be useless and only lead to me not letting you out for a good, long time, is that understood?"

The teen nodded sullenly, but it had been important to tell him now instead of spoiling his mood tomorrow morning.

"Good. How about a game of chess?"

The teen agreed and they played two sets, winning one each. Slade liked these moments, when he could look up from the board and see Robin, staring at the pieces, chewing on his bottom lip as he thought about his next more. Or rather about his next ten; the young man was brilliant after all. At those times it didn't feel like they were enemies, it felt like he could smile at the teen and get a smile back. Not a smirk or a grimace but a real smile. Slade hated how much he longed for one.

Falling in love with a hero was simply… pathetic. Robin was so talented, in so many areas, but his naïve set of morals really got in the way. Slade could imagine them fucking, oh, yes, he really could, but he knew he felt more than that. It wasn't just the urge to protect him either, there was a surge inside his chest every time those blue eyes met his. It made him weak. He knew it, even though he couldn't exactly say how, because he surely wasn't acting weak. He wasn't on his knees begging for attention. He didn't hold back too much when the teen attacked. He did hold back a little, though, because the last thing he wanted was for the young man to need serious medical treatment; that would mean having to give him up or… taking his life. Slade didn't want to do neither, so he was careful about breaking any bones.

Slade left to make dinner after the games, which had been going on for quite some time, but after the meal he told Robin he had to prepare for their trip and would be back to wake him early the next morning. The young man's excitement to be let out seemed to have returned in full, Slade's warnings about running away hopefully noted but put in the back of his mind, just like the man had hoped.

"Rise and shine." Slade had half expected the teen to be up waiting for him, but instead he found him in bed, hair tousled and sleepy eyes blinking up at him. It was all the man could do to hold himself back from all from stroking a strand of hair out of the teen's eyes to just… ravage him.

"Mm… it's morning already?"

"Barely, it's three AM, but we need to get in position before the animals start stirring."

"M-kay…" It didn't take the teen to be perfectly awake however; Slade had never met anyone who fit the description 'bright eyed and bushy tailed' as well as Robin did. As soon as the hero was dressed, Slade having brought a jacket and boots for him, the man led him out the door. He kept an hand on his shoulder, as a warning, and could feel the teen practically vibrating from excitement, which only grew the closer to the outside they got.

"Calm down now," he said as he picked up a backpack and the gun, which of course wasn't loaded yet, "or I'll just tie you to the back of the jeep and let you run until you've tired yourself out."

The man could see how Robin took a deep breath to gain some control of himself and grinned. He knew how he felt. Maybe he should take the teen on a run after all. He decided to let him know that.

"If this goes well, how about morning jogs now and then?" he suggested.

"Not at three in the morning, though?" Robin grinned, but looked pleased with the prospect.

"No, if you're too lazy for that…" the man chuckled, getting another one of the teen's now so familiar snorts.

When they came outside, Robin just stopped and drew a few more deep breaths.

"AH… fresh air."

"The air inside is just as fresh," Slade pointed out.

"It's not the same," the hero said shortly. "The stars looks so bright too."

"You can enjoy them on the way. We have a bit of a hike to do, and we have to go down into a ravine, so pay attention and follow me closely, or you might fall and break your neck."

"Yeah, big loss that would be for you," the teen muttered.

"Of course it would, Robin," Slade told him, turning around to face him as he did.

The teen looked away, and the mercenary thought he could see a blush on the young man's face. If it was out of anger or not, however, was hard to say.

Slade led the way, carefully listening for any sign that the teen might try to make a run for it. If it was him, he would just push his captor off the edge of the ravine and be done with it, but Robin did have those heroic notions. Slade wasn't even hesitant about handing over a loaded gun to the teen, not out here. Inside, if he had been pushed too far, maybe, just maybe, the teen would be able to rectify firing a weapon at another human being, but Slade had his doubts. It didn't matter, however, his aim wasn't to turn Robin into a killer, not even a criminal, not anymore. That would weigh on the young man's consciousness, after all, and they really didn't need more obstacles. One of them hating the other was quite enough.

It was still dark, but the moon was up and almost full, and in the east the sky began to lighten rapidly so Slade, at least, had no trouble seeing. Maybe his night vision was better than Robin's however, who once tripped so badly that Slade had to catch him. Not that the man minded.

"Want me to carry you down?" he leered.

"It's dark!" Robin hissed angrily, confirming the man's suspicions. He knew he had heightened senses, but after living with them so long, it was sometimes hard for him to be sure of how much better than other people's they were.

"We'll go slower. I don't want a flashlight to startle any prey."

Robin nodded and they were off again. Slade led the young man to a small river, a place he had scouted out on his recons of the area. He had had to make sure that hiking here wasn't too common, which is wasn't, as much more picturesque landscapes, as well as good trails, could be found only a little over an hour away, drawing most of the nature enthusiasts there instead. Slade had even bought the hunting rights to the area, to make sure as few people as possible came here. It almost irked him that they were actually hunting legally, but maybe it wouldn't irk Robin. As the teen already knew it was the hunting-season, Slade shared the other information with him and explained his reasons for getting the rights.

"Okay...?" Was all the teen said at first. "Well… that's good, I guess… Maybe we should let the deer know too?"

"I think that might be a bad idea," Slade chuckled.

"Might make them feel better."

"Of course. As they are running out of range."

They reached a thicket of bushes and Slade led Robin into them, as they opened in the middle, creating a perfect, natural cover. All they had to do now, was wait. The man pulled out their breakfast, sandwiches and a thermos of coffee, so they could eat as the sun began to rise. The man, being a professional hunter, knew that the smell of coffee in the woods might startle their prey, but they were down wind, and he wasn't about to mess around with cover scents and all those things. This wasn't really about hunting, after all. It was, Slade chuckled to himself, about bonding.

It was chilly down in the ravine this early in the morning, even though the days had been very hot lately. Slade saw Robin shiver a bit and shrugged off his own jacket, wrapping it around the teen's shoulders. He got an incredulous look in return, but there was no objection.

That was probably going too far, Slade thought to himself. What do I care if he's cold, it won't harm him. It's stupid to let him think that I… Slade shook the thought from his mind, and focused on preparing instead, loading the gun for starters. He could sense that Robin got more tense as he did, and decided to let the young man get used to it.

"Here," he said and moved in behind Robin. "Try it out, just feel the weight of it and look through the scope."

"It's loaded, right?"

"Yes, so stay away from the trigger for now," the man said and stayed behind the teen to adjust his posture. "There's a natural path down to the river and if or when any deer pass through here, and we will have a broadside view of them, which is perfect for a clean shot.

"So.. where do I aim? The head?" Robin asked, to the man's surprise. The question might be just out of curiosity, not meaning he would take the shot, but it was still welcome.

"Never the head when hunting deer; they move it constantly. You need to be very close and dealing with a very calm deer that stands still to do that. The kill zone is the shoulder, or right behind it, which will hit the heart and the lungs."

"And where's your kill zone?" the teen muttered.

"If you're hunting me, Robin, you want to go for the head, but you'll only get one shot so you better make it count," Slade half growled, half purred. He liked that Robin had even been entertaining the thought.

"Good to know."

"All you have to do is ask," the man chuckled. At that moment he heard something and placed a hand on Robin's shoulder, hushing him quietly. A moment later a small heard of deer appeared, seemingly in no great hurry.

"Take the gun back!" Robin hissed, but Slade shook his head.

"No. At least see if you can get a good shot."

"I don't like this…" the teen muttered, but got the scope up to eyelevel anyway.

"No I'm sure your pulse isn't racing at all," the man said dryly. "Pick one. The doe at the back there, for example, she is at an perfect angle. Do you see the kill zone?"

"Yes."

"Are you curious? About what it will feel like? I can take the shot, Robin, I don't mind. As I said, I won't force you. Or you can yell out and they will scatter within an instant, but this is what being a hunter is all about. If all the meat on people's plates had a death as quick and sudden as hers could be, it would weigh less on their conscience. She has no idea that we are here. She won't have time to feel any stress or pain. Try it."

Slade heard the teen take a long, steady breath, and saw him squeeze the trigger. He didn't expect it, however, when the shot rang out.

The hero made a small sound like he wanted to take it back, but the doe was already down and the others were running away.

Slade decided not to comment on the fact that the hero had killed, but stood and walked up to the fallen animal.

"Perfect shot, Robin," he began and then felt the tingling sensation on the back of his neck that usually only meant one thing. "You can lower the rifle, boy, it only had one bullet."

"I think you're lying," the hero growled as Slade turned around slowly, only to confirm his suspicions. Robin had stood up as well, and the barrel seemed surprisingly steady.

"Well, even if I am… are you going to shoot me? A deer and a human are quite different after all, and-" Slade threw himself forward so fast that he easily yanked the gun out of the teen's hands and kicked him to the ground, "-it's too late anyway."

The young man glared up at him from the ground, just a worried flicker towards the rifle betraying that he wondered how Slade would pay him back, but the man merely smirked and unloaded the gun.

"So it was-?" the hero gaped.

"Yes. Are you kicking yourself or are you scared of what could have happened?" Slade asked and slung the gun across his shoulder. "Now, let's not let the meat go to waste, you promised to help me, after all." Slade carried not only the gun and the rucksack, but also the deer back up again, until they found a better place to gut the animal. Although he got a bit pale, Robin didn't back down from the job and Slade explained what they were doing and why, every step of the way.

"That's enough for today," Slade said after about two hours. "I have an icebox and we'll put the meat in there."

"What about the… guts and skin and…" Robin asked, swallowing.

"We leave that for the scavengers," the man shrugged and pulled out a roll of thick, plastic bags to carry the meat back in. He handed a few of them to Robin, and they walked the rest of the way back.

When they entered the base Slade wanted his bird back safely in the aviary.

"Put the bags down. You should take a shower, deer can have quite lot of parasites on them, and, besides, we both smell." He studied the teen's reaction and snorted. "Yes, you can try to run, Robin. Would you like me to turn my back and count to ten? I can count to a hundred if you want. I know you saw the jeep outside, but I have to tell you, you need a code to start it, same goes for the other vehicles here, so you'd be on foot. I know this area like my own back yard and I'm a very good tracker. I think we've established that you're not very used to being out in the wild, but, absolutely; go ahead. I'll put the meat on ice and then come to get you." He didn't know what the young man would do, and Robin couldn't seem to decide either. Slade saw the conflict in his eyes, the urge to prove the man wrong, to at least try and the realization that it most likely was as useless as Slade said. The teen looking down on his arms and noticing the blood there, finally tipped the scales.

"Fine, I'll take a shower."

"It's up to you, but follow me then," Slade shrugged and walked away, again giving Robin all the space and time he needed to run. But the teen didn't. Slade smirked. He knew it wasn't because the young man suddenly felt some kind of attachment between them; Robin was smart, especially once he had gotten his anger out of his system, and when he ran he would do so when he had the best possible opportunity and not before.

Slade punched in the code and opened the door, keeping it open by pushing down a button on the outside, and then turned to the teen.

"Go take that shower. And Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm very proud of you."

"Fuck off," the teen snorted, but the quick blush across his cheeks and the way he looked away instead of glaring told Slade that it wasn't all anger. Maybe he wasn't pleased, more ashamed, but he at least accepted the praise as genuine, and that was all the mercenary could ask for.

When Slade returned to room a bit later, after taking a shower himself, Robin was again nowhere to be found. After checking the rafters the man called out and got a hesitant answer from the bathroom.

"Did you get stuck in there?" he chuckled.

"No. I… I think I have tick," he heard Robin answer.

"Well, pick it off."

"I can't, it's in the middle of my back, and I don't know if it's a tick or a mole!" the teen told him, sounding irritable as hell.

"Let me take a look, then," the man said, and, after a moment of hesitation, the door unlocked.

Robin was just in a towel again, which spiked a sense of heat inside the man which he hoped he was able to hide.

"Where is it?"

"About there," the hero said and bent his arm back to indicate the place between his shoulder blades. Slade turned him around properly and held him still by his shoulder, trying not to think about that he was touching naked flesh. Focusing on the small, black dot instead, he nodded.

"Yes, it's a tick."

"Take it off," Robin said, and actually shivered in disgust.

"No, I think you should keep it as a pet," the man snorted and tightened his grip on the hero's shoulder. "Hold still, it's tiny and I want to make sure to get it all." A moment and a wince later, the creature was taking an exciting ride down the sink.

"Did you get it?"

"Yes it's all gone," Slade said, and realized that he didn't want to let go of Robin quite yet. "Do you want me to check for more?"

"No, I'm fine."

"You sure? Don't forget your head, then, but they can be hard to feel when they are this tiny."

Again the teen shuddered, and Slade was pretty sure he had found a weakness of his. He wouldn't mind exploiting it at all.

"Wait… okay," Robin said the next moment and the man nodded.

"No problem, but let's go find some better light." He led the teen out towards the couch, sat him down and lit the reading lamp. None of that was necessary at all, but Robin didn't know that, of course. "Let's start with your hair, neck and back, then," Slade told him and sat down behind him, tilting the hero's head forwards.

Slade wasn't about to hurry. With small, circular movements he felt through the teen's damp hair with the tips of his fingers, listening to Robin's breath as it deepened slightly and his tense shoulders began to relax. The man knew exactly what he was doing and it was not looking for bugs. He continued as long as he dared, checking behind the ears as well, and then pretended to examine the teen's neck, leaning forward so his breath made the little hairs there stand on end and the young man's own breath hitched.

The man knew what it was like to be male, and a male teenager at that. It didn't take much. He was playing a very dangerous game right now but even his own inner voice couldn't make him stop. He suspected that Robin had been paranoid enough not to touch himself these past months. Sure, Slade had cameras in these rooms, but not in the bathroom, and he seldom looked at the film, they were just there in case the teen became depressed and needed constant supervision, but he hadn't told the hero that, of course. All in all, any human touch was likely to get the poor bird's juices flowing. And Slade felt it as well.

The mercenary's hands wandered down, to a red area at the teen's side. A bruise from the kick as they had struggled for the rifle.

"Does it hurt?" he asked quietly, not really wanting to spoil the moment, but he had to make sure nothing was broken.

"It's… just sore."

Was Robin out of breath? Yes, it seems so, and by the way he almost desperately gripped the front of his towel, bundling it up to hide… what? Slade had a very good idea.

"Stand up so I can check the back of your legs."

"I'm… it's okay, I can do that!" Robin lied hurriedly.

"What? Is there a… problem?" Slade asked as innocently as he could.

"N-no… no problem… I…"

"Up." Slade rarely asked twice and simply grabbed the teen by the hips and lifted, putting him on his feet. The towel scooted up a bit in the back as well, which wasn't a bad thing. Slade lifted it further but it was yanked down by a red-faced hero.

"Well, if I can't use my sight, I have to use my hands," the man told him and began caressing the back of the teen's thighs, from his knees and up, one of the hand's sliding between the thighs as well. Unconsciously Robin's legs tensed, squeezing the man's fingers, and Slade couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to have the hero's legs wrapped around his hips… again he was slow and thorough, and, as he was still sitting down, his breath now teased the middle of Robin's back. The teen made a little noise as the man dared letting his hands wander even further up, stopping just under the curve of the pert little ass which had been driving the man mad for far too long.

"I… I can… check the rest!" Robin tried again.

"You better feel everywhere, carefully. Ticks usually end up in folds and crevices, and if you get a bite there, especially if you don't notice it, you will probably miss any sign of inflammation."

"But, I-"

"Don't worry about it. I once had to check twenty men for leeches like this." The grip Robin had on the towel didn't help as Slade pulled it off completely and dropped it out of reach. The teen cursed, his hands immediately cupping his privates, but Slade still pretended not to be affected at all, and this time he, regrettably, had to go faster before the teen decided to try to bolt. Slade was of the end of his rope himself as he parted the firm, tense cheeks for just a moment. "The back's clear, now for the front," he said and turned the teen around. "Don't be shy," he then snorted, still upholding his professional façade and grabbed the hero's wrists, pulling them away from the groin and then holding them both with one hand, studying the cock that happily bounced up to meet him. "Nothing to worry about. Remember those twenty men? Happened to four of them, and one had a one-inch leech feeding from his balls," Slade said. The story was actually true and the fact that Robin's knee hadn't come crashing into his nose by now was a sign that the teen believed him. Slade raised a hand and quickly felt behind the sack, pressing up at the perineum as by accident, hiding a smirk as the cock twitched and a bead of clear liquid appeared on the tip. Slade glanced quickly up at the teen's face and paused. The sight was simply too beautiful. Robin's head was turned away a little, like he was pretending this wasn't happening. His eyes were squeezed closed, a blush burned across his nose and cheeks, but his mouth was slightly open, his lips bottom lip wet like he had just gnawed on it or licked it, the lips parting in a silent moan as the man weighed his balls in his hands, playing with them in a more obvious way, before moving on to the shaft.

"Just have to check under the foreskin," Slade claimed, his voice quiet as to not wake the teen from whatever daze he was in. The skin was already retracted, as the teen was hard, but Slade used his thumb and first two fingers to close around it and pull it down further. Robin made a sound then, a small sound of need or objection, it was hard to tell and the man didn't care. He ran his hand up and down the shaft again, once, twice and then-

"Ughnn!" The young man must have really been teetering on the edge, and he came violently.

Slade got to his feet in a flash. This was ridiculous. He wouldn't wait any longer. As he had let go of Robin's wrists so suddenly, the hero almost stumbled into him, and Slade had no problems winding an arm around him, and using the other hand to tilt the teen's head back, before their lips met. Slade was hungry, ravenous, and kissed the hero like it was the last thing he would ever do. At the same time he pushed him back, crossing the vast room until they reached the bed. Slade shoved the teen down, none to gently, and pulled down his own zipper, needing to get out of the jeans and into something else, as soon as he possibly could.

"Slade!" the call snapped the man's eye up, meeting wide, blue ones in a flushed face which bore an expression that was almost impossible to read. The man liked to think that there was lust there, but there was also shock and- He didn't want to see more. With a growl of frustration the man spun around and left, the door snapping shut behind him in the knowledge that he had ruined it all.

To Be Continued.

A/N: even though this was easy to write in one way, it was hard in another (no pun intended) because Slade in love, and I mean actually, outspoken in love, is always difficult unless the story is fluffier than this… not that I think that he can't love, I'm sure he can, but, as this story hopefully reflects: it can be… complicated. I didn't want to paint this Slade as a crazy person or a pathetic person (although love makes us all slightly pathetic) so I hope you don't see him that way… it's hard to JUSTIFY what he's doing, though, but I think it's pretty clear that he doesn't expect Robin to suddenly fall in love with him and that he knows Robin's feelings… or think he does… ;) the next part, which should be up as you read this, continues the story, but now more from Robin's point of view.