A/N: have you ever wondered if you could tame the beast? Ever wondered if you SHOULD?
Thank you so much to Aikino for betaing!
Look at this, I'm not dead! ;) The once who keep up knows that I've been working on the sequel to my original story, so I haven't had time to write any sladin for a pretty long while… Now that's done, though, and I return to my favorite fan fiction pairing… ;) The previous parts of this story can be found in this collection as "chapter" 188-189.
A Man's Love, Part 3
Robin was sprawled on his bed in the huge room, feeling more than a little satisfied. Slade was in the shower at the moment, having done a really good job. Again and again and again. The teen felt rather full. Having sex had turned out to be a major perk in his captivity, which he never would have guessed… but of course it was all merely a step on the way to freedom. He didn't know how much he could 'stretch the generosity' of Slade's affections, but he would go to the limit, that was for sure. He would try to manipulate the master manipulator, because there was one thing the teen believed: love is blind. People, even Slade, sometimes saw what they wanted to see. Still, he had to keep him starving, keep him wanting more… apart from the sex. Robin loved that too much to give it up; besides, withholding sex would give the man a clue that Robin was onto him and his feelings and was trying to control him.
"The shower is yours," the god of a man said, stepping out of the bathroom in just a towel, dripping wet. The teen licked his lips.
"Can't move. You fucked me too good."
"Too well."
"That too."
The man chuckled as he started picking up his clothes, which were scattered around the room. "Who knew you would turn out to be such a lecherous young man?" Slade said, mirroring the thoughts the teen had just had himself.
"I didn't, that's for sure. I could still go for a pair of boobs, though." Robin wanted to make sure the man knew he wasn't gay. Because he wasn't. He had no interest whatsoever in guys in general, just Slade, and the interesting things the man could make happen in his body…
"You'll get your chance," the man shrugged.
"Yeah, sure…" the teen muttered sullenly and rolled over on his stomach, not-so-subtly indicating that he was the man's prisoner and women were scarce here.
"You're leaking," the mercenary pointed out, ignoring the sulk.
"Well," Robin smirked and lewdly parted his cheeks. "You spilled it, you clean it up."
Amazingly the man did, and after that Robin just dozed for the rest of the day, too wrung out to do anything much. He had reached his sex limit.
Not everything changed just because sex was introduced. They still sparred, for example, and went jogging outside in the desolate wilderness. As long as Robin managed to pretend that he was on vacation he had a great time. When the illusion cracked, however, he could barely stifle a severe longing to get out of there, back to Jump, back to his team. Back to his calling. He wasn't made to be a 'companion'; he was meant to be a hero, to help people… and Slade needed to understand that. Robin knew he would have to be very, very patient and careful when he was trying to make it happen, though…
When it came to sex, Slade was the one who was being careful, at least at first. Not in the act, oh no, but when it came to initiating it. He would tease and hint, at most, but if Robin didn't show any interest whatsoever, he didn't take it any further. Sometimes that frustrated the hell out of the teen, because it felt like he had to initiate it all the time, and it didn't exactly look good on his 'certificate of straightness'. Still, of course, it felt good not to be pressured into anything, and soon he learned that if he was in the mood there were ways he could let the man know without actually saying 'fuck me'. And they did a lot of that. Why not? It was just the two of them and it was the most fun thing to do around here, after all. It didn't mean that they went 'all the way' every time, that would have left Robin more sore than satisfied, but the man knew a lot of ways to have fun.
Sex had other benefits, such as the afterglow. It was a splendid time to ask for things and discuss 'sensitive questions', Robin had discovered, so a few nights later…
"Slade?"
"Mhm?"
The man was half asleep. Perfect.
"When you go into town next, could you see if they have a copy of Jump City Post?"
"Why?" The man's voice was immediately guarded, but Robin knew it would be.
"I just…" Cue deep sigh. "I just want to see if it says anything about the Titans… so I know they are alright."
"You miss them?"
Jealousy. More hackles risen. He needed to push a bit more, though.
"Of course I do!" Robin rose up on his elbow so he could look down on the man. "They are my best friends, my team! And they don't even know if I'm alive! I wish I could call them just to say that, but…" he trailed off. Sighed again. It was time for some balm, to ease the pain of the wound he had just caused. "Can I tell you a secret, though?"
The man made a small incredulous sound at the childish request.
"I mean it, if you ever see the Titans again, you can never tell them!" Robin continued, baiting the trap further.
"Fine. What?"
"I… I'm ashamed to say it, but I was… I was pretty bored back in Jump." It was a half truth, almost a complete truth. He had been bored, just not to the point of wanting to quit being a hero and move to an abandoned military base with his arch nemesis. He wasn't even sure that level of boredom existed. He let his finger seemingly aimlessly draw circles on the man's chest. "I knew I could be better. Do better. I just didn't know exactly how."
"You've become a better fighter since coming here."
Robin had known Slade wouldn't be able to resist pointing that out and put on a happy smile. "You think? Thank you! I thought so too! You might be a bit of a bastard about some things, Slade, but you wanna know another secret? You're not boring."
The man burst into a short chuckle, and Robin knew he had won. The seed of letting him find out about the Titans, maybe even contacting them, had been planted. He didn't want to push more today. Slade sat up, giving him a quick kiss as he did so. Robin had one more sign of affection up his sleeve though. The man only slept in here if they had fallen asleep by accident, and it was even rarer that he was still there in the morning. When Slade now made a motion to stand up, Robin touched his arm very gently, hesitantly, almost shyly.
"Slade? Why don't you stay with me tonight? Please? Or do you have something important to do?"
"You want me to stay?" the man sounded like it was an idea which hadn't quite crossed his mind.
"Well, I don't want you to go," Robin grinned. He let his face turn serious again. "Sometimes when you do, I kinda feel…"
"Feel how?"
"Doesn't matter," Robin shrugged, although he was pretty sure the man got the message; 'abandoned'… 'used'. "But it would be nice if you stayed sometimes. I mean, I know you can't all the time, but…"
"I'll stay tonight, then," Slade decided and lay back down.
Robin made a pleased little noise, but didn't curl up to the man immediately. He didn't want to overdo it. Slade would only believe a certain amount of 'affection' and then he'd get suspicious. After a while, after tossing and turning a bit, looking for the best sleeping pose, Robin threw an arm over the man's middle and settled against his side. He fell asleep with a pleased sigh, thinking of Slade as a body pillow.
Slade watched the young man sleep for a while. His arm, which would seem well muscled in normal circumstances, looking so thin compared to his own. Slade liked that. He liked Robin's more slender body. Sure, when he got older he would most likely both bulk up and shoot up, but the man was pretty sure the hero would always be smaller than him. He hadn't thought of the future much. He, Slade Wilson, for once hadn't planned ahead. That this would happen was far more than he could have ever hoped for, and lately the boy seemed to have… warmed up to him, even more. He had even invited him to stay the night. Did Robin…? No, he was an old fool for even entertaining the thought. The answer to his behavior was very simple: Slade had provided him with a service most teens craved: sex. If the mercenary was very, very lucky Robin would eventually start interpreting that kind of intimacy for actual feelings, and one day… maybe…
Slade snorted softly to himself. Dreams! Dreams and rose-colored fantasies! Him! He should be ashamed of himself. But he drew the young man closer, resulting in a soft mumble from the boy and the arm over his chest tightening, as if Robin didn't want to let go. Maybe he should let him contact the Titans. The idea didn't sit quite right with him; he didn't even want the boy to THINK about his old life, but of course he understood the worry. Well. He understood that some people more easily developed deeper connections and wanted to 'keep in touch' and such. He wasn't an idiot; he knew Robin wouldn't forget about the Titans. He wanted to keep him, though. Desperately. The saying went 'if you love them, set them free', but how foolish was that? Because he would lose Robin if he did. The boy wouldn't 'return to him' as the promise went. Not even if he actually liked him. Duty and friendship would come first to him. But maybe he would relax if he knew his friends were fine? Slade decided to think about it as he allowed himself to drift off to sleep as well.
Robin came up with a new 'bonding plan' when they went jogging really early the next morning. He looked up at the sky as the last stars died away and then hurried his steps a little to run alongside Slade.
"You know what I always wanted to do?" he asked the man.
"I'm afraid to ask."
"Spend a night in the desert, looking at the stars. No light pollution. Even now, at sunrise, there are more of them than back in Jump."
"You never did that?"
"Bruce isn't much of an outdoorsman," Robin chuckled. "Not the out-in-the-wild kind at least. And in Gotham you were lucky if you saw the moon. And the Titans… well, Jump is too bright and we were just too busy, I guess."
"Well, we're in the desert now. I'll take you out tonight if the sky is clear."
"Great! Hey, why not make a thing out of it?"
"A thing? You're not the Riddler; please speak in complete sentences."
Robin snorted, but pushed on. "You have a pickup truck back at the base. Why not put a mattress, pillows and blankets back there… maybe bring a little picnic?"
"Sounds like a lot of work."
Robin could hear that Slade didn't dismiss the idea, though. Mainly because he hadn't just said 'no'. "Come on! It's comfortable! And maybe we can do some more things when the sky gets boring?"
"I'll look into it, but it won't be tonight in that case. I need get some things in town first."
"Great! Although I don't like when you go into town."
"Why not?"
"Because what if something happened? I get claustrophobic thinking that you might never come back!"
Slade didn't reply at first, which Robin thought was a bit weird. Then the man made an indistinct noise and said, "I've installed a safety feature. If the door isn't opened for three days it will open automatically."
"Oh… good to know… thank you," Robin said, while he inwardly hoped Slade would drive off a cliff the next time he got in the truck. He had fresh water and quite a lot of snacks; he'd be absolutely fine for three days. He couldn't tell the mercenary that, though, of course. "Now I don't have to have nightmares anymore."
"Stop slacking off now and pick up the pace," he was ordered.
"You pick up the pace! I'm keeping up with y- Hey! Where are you going?" Robin had to push himself to the limit all the way back.
Once he staggered inside the base he began laughing while trying to catch his breath. Not a good combination, and he almost sank to his knees in the end.
"What's so funny?" Slade asked him.
"Why… why… the….. hell… did…" the teen took a few more deep breaths. "Why the hell did I even bother keeping up with you? I should have just let you leave me in the dust and then started running the other way."
"I would have caught you," the mercenary warned.
"Oh, I know," Robin said, shooting him a grin, "I just realized what a horrible prisoner I am."
"I think you're a splendid one."
"Sure you do. I'm a prisoner with benefits," the hero snickered.
"About those benefits-"
"Forget it! I'm completely done. I need the shower and a quiet collapse in the sofa until lunch."
"Sounds good. I'll join you."
"Maybe if you carry me," Robin snorted.
Slade did.
"I'm leaving to go into town now," Slade told him the same afternoon.
"Oh, okay," Robin said. "Don't forget-" the teen pretended to hesitate. "I mean… if they should happen to have a Jump news paper…?"
"We're a bit too far from there," the man said gruffly.
"Oh. Okay." The hero tried his very best to look dejected. Not that reading about his team wouldn't be great, but it such a tiny step in his plan that it barely didn't matter. Still, it was important to get the man to take it. "I'll see you soon, then?"
"A few hours at most," Slade nodded and left.
Unfortunately the mercenary didn't have the decency to drive off a cliff, but Robin still greeted him with a smile over the top of the book he was currently reading when the man got home.
"Missed me?" Slade asked.
"My balls are still pretty empty, so not too much," Robin smirked.
"Ah, I guess you don't want this, then?" The newspaper in the man's hand had a very familiar logo.
"Yes! How? I mean…?" Robin got up and rushed forward. He expected the man to hold the paper above his head and demand a blow job first or something, but Slade just grinned and handed it over. That behavior had to be rewarded, so Robin leapt into his arms and kissed the villain with more passion than he had ever done before.
"You really wanted that newspaper, didn't you?" the man chuckled as Robin decided that he had rewarded him enough.
"A bit," Robin grinned. "Now get the hell out of my room so I can read in peace."
"I was actually going to work out."
"And how am I going to be able to focus on reading if you do that?"
"You'll have to try."
"You don't have your own gym somewhere else around here?"
"No. Why would I?"
Robin shrugged, he didn't know. Well, maybe now he could pretend to be that easily distracted, because it wasn't like Slade's half naked body made him drool that much. Those times Robin had walked straight into chairs and the coffee table had been complete coincidences.
Fifteen minutes later a frustrated Robin threw down the paper on the couch.
"There's nothing in here about them!"
"Sorry," Slade said from the weights section. "I didn't look. Are there usually articles about you every day?"
"No, guess not. And there was a photo of the city for one article and the Tower was in the background, so I guess that still stands, at least."
"You don't think they are very competent, do you?"
"Of course I do! They are my friends! They just… Well, I was their leader, and let's just say they needed me," Robin said with quite a bit of scorn in his voice. Inwardly he apologized to his friends. It was just that he needed Slade to understand that he wanted to join the Titans again, but he also needed him to believe that they weren't the center of his universe. Slade was supposed to think he was. Robin's eyes locked on the body of the man, his muscles bulging as they strained against the weights. The teen licked his lips. He was lucky to be kidnapped by Slade and not Mad Mod or something… well, lucky in some ways, because he was pretty sure Mad Mod would only be able to hold him for a few hours. Not months.
He yawned. Slade had gotten his this morning, he shouldn't spoil the man. Robin could do with a tumble in the sheets before bedtime, but he was also tired and decided to head for bed instead. He undressed in the bathroom which might seem silly as the man had seen more of him than anyone else, but Robin still felt that it kept a bit of the teasing element in their 'relationship'.
"Tired?" he was asked when he came back out.
"Yeah. Bit of a headache too."
"Need a pain reliever?"
"Nah, I just didn't drink enough water after our jog this morning, I think," Robin shrugged. "I've taken care of that now, I just need some sleep."
"Very well."
Robin watched the rest of the workout from the bed, and then Slade showered. What happened next, though, made Robin preen. The man emerged from the bathroom clad in clean boxers and then walked up to the bed. His steps were slow, and if it hadn't been Slade Robin would have described them as 'hesitant'. Maybe he was wondering if Robin was asleep, as his eyes were almost completely shut. The teen blinked them open a bit and lifted the covers.
"Are you coming in?" he asked. Slade did. The young hero grinned to himself as he settled against the man's body. He had him well trained. All he needed was a bit more time.
"I checked in on your friends. They are all fine, it seems."
Robin's head shot up from the pillow, some drool still in the corner of his mouth. "Wha-? What? How?"
"It's a nifty little invention called 'the Internet'," Slade smirked down at him.
"You have an internet connection?! I demand to play Candy Crush!"
"I don't think so, no."
"Damn, I'm sure Beast Boy has passed me by now." The teen swung his legs over the edge of the bed. It felt quite late in the morning, no wonder Slade was already up and about. And breakfast was served too, if his nose didn't lie. "Seriously, though… thank you. I know you didn't have to do that. You probably didn't even want to… so thanks."
"I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't wanted to," Slade said in the kind of sullen way that showed that he, in fact, hadn't wanted to.
"Oh, don't be jealous, you know that you're my favorite villain," Robin grinned and finally jumped out of bed. "What's for breakfast?"
A pretty normal couple of days followed, until one afternoon when Slade let him know that the overcast which had apparently ruined things for a few days had finally cleared, and that they would be able to go stargazing that night.
Even though the stargazing idea had only been intended as a pretext to make Slade think that Robin was starting to fall for him, the teen actually found himself looking forward to it. It was true that he had never experienced it. Of course he had been to space… but that wasn't quite the same thing. They drove for about half a mile away from the base, more to get away from it than from necessity, as the lights of the base never was turned on unless they were needed. Still, Slade had taken take little 'picnic' to heart, which made Robin gloat.
Soon they were in the back of the pickup truck, on a thick, soft mattress, surrounded by blankets and pillows, watching the last light from the sun dim on the horizon. Robin draped a blanket over his and Slade's shoulders.
"You're cold?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, we will be soon enough," Robin said. "and besides, maybe I just wanted to make a Slade-tent," he added with a smirk.
"You already know how to do that," the man replied and nodded towards his crotch.
"Subtle."
"Maybe not my best work, but it got the job done. You looked," the man leered.
"Guilty," the teen shrugged but then leaned back against the villain and looked up at the sky. "The stars are already coming out."
"It will be a nice night," the man rumbled.
They fell silent for a while as the sky turned from pink to purple to black.
"Shooting star!" Robin suddenly called out and pointed.
"Maybe you should make a wish?"
The teen had to bite down on a bitter comment about wanting to be back with his friends. Instead he put on a grin. "Well, any chance for a snack?"
"That's a wish I have no problems granting," Slade claimed and soon it had indeed come true.
Slade's idea of what to eat during a star gazing picnic included spicy chicken wings, potato chips and… beer. When the man noticed Robin's hesitation he chuckled.
"What? Never had alcohol before?"
"Of course I have!" Robin snorted.
"Sips of fancy champagne and wine stolen from Bruce's many parties?"
"How long have you stalked me?!"
"Spot on?"
"… yeah," the teen admitted. He knew the dangers of alcohol, of course, and didn't want to ruin his body and brain with the stuff, but curiosity had led to a few tastes. He hadn't liked it much. Somehow he expected to like champagne because it was supposed to be so amazing, but he had gagged when he had tried it. Red wine was just sour and white wine was only slightly better.
"I have cola too, if you want?"
"No, I'll try a beer," Robin said and reached out for the ice cold bottle. "I don't know a lot about beer, though. Alfred always goes on and on about temperatures and years and stuff when it comes to wine. I don't think he condones beer."
"You only need to know one thing: most American beer is piss. Buy import."
"Noted," Robin said seriously before cracking up.
Slade, acting the gentleman Robin supposed, opened his beer for him and watched him take a first sip. The teen grimaced. "You sure you didn't buy local?"
"No one likes it at first. Drink up and you can have another."
"Are you by any chance trying to get me drunk?"
"Not at all," the man leered.
"Hmmm… I don't think I trust your face," Robin muttered and took another sip. "Hand me some chicken, will you?"
They ate, drank and watched the sky. The last part was actually pretty amazing, and Robin genuinely enjoyed it. He didn't want to get drunk, however. He also didn't want to switch to the soft drinks, because he felt that this was a 'bonding moment'. He took small sips and let his arm hang over the side of the truck between them, furtively pouring a little bit out at the time. Still, he felt a bit of a buzz as he was handed a third one.
Being drunk might lead to him saying or doing things he didn't mean, which might ruin the plan, but acting drunk might just help it along.
Slade was on his second six pack by now, but surprisingly Robin wasn't worried about the man's state of mind.
"Shlade?" he lisped a little. "Can you even get drunk?"
"Oh yes. Fortunately," the man answered, his voice still solid as a rock.
"Heh… are you trying to shay that you have a consi… conch... con… that you feel bad about stuff?" Robin asked. He frowned as he spoke, because it wasn't all acting; he must have drunk more than he thought. He took another sip before realizing what he was doing.
"All of us regret some things," the man just stated. "And I think you've had enough," he added, took the third beer from Robin's hand and drained it himself.
"Mm…" the teen agreed and curled up closer to the man. It was getting colder. "Warm me up?" he begged.
"My pleasure," the man leered, though Robin couldn't really see it in the dark. He just knew.
Even though they had fucked countless times by now, kissing the man still felt somewhat surreal. Kissing Slade. The Slade. His arch nemesis. Who was cradling his head so carefully and- okay, the other hand grabbed his ass, but still… could this man really hurt him? The scary thing was that the answer was most likely 'yes'. Robin felt somewhat sure that Slade wouldn't physically hurt him, but would the man let him go? No, not likely, not without some 'help'.
The man suddenly drew back, and in a rush of panic Robin thought he had somehow read his mind. The reason was far more basic, however.
"Have to take a piss."
"I knew those beers had to go somewhere," Robin chuckled, and then cringed when he felt a familiar pressure as well. "Wait up! Me too!"
The ground was surprisingly uneven, or maybe his feet were, but soon they were standing side by side, their aim meaning a very nasty surprise for a family of gophers, the teen suspected. Oh, well.
"When you say that you get drunk… how drunk do you get?" Robin asked.
"Enough."
"Enough for me to bash your head in with a rock and drive away?"
"Not now, no."
The teen just grinned at the man, though. He would take the chance if he got it, but it would have to be absolutely risk free if he did.
"Darn." he chuckled. Then, after tucking himself in he added, more seriously; "Do you ever drink because of me?"
The moonlight caught Slade's smirk this time. "Not anymore."
"Oh… so… before? Why?"
"Because of reasons."
"Wow, you're not a talkative drunk, are you?" Robin snorted accusingly.
"No, I'm a horny one," Slade chuckled and made a sudden charge towards him. Robin didn't even have time to yelp before he was caught and carried back to the truck over the man's shoulder like a piece of meat.
"You're not allowed to drink again!" the teen objected when he was thrown on top of the mattress.
"Oh, you'll like it," the man purred.
"Yeah? Prove it!"
And Slade did. Three times. Robin ended up seeing more stars than should be physically possible that night.
Robin woke up nice and warm, spooned by Slade and covered in blankets. When he stuck his nose up into the morning air he understood why. It was freezing! He shivered and pushed back into the heat source behind him.
"Morning."
Robin turned his head to return the gruff but not unhappy-sounding greeting when he spotted that Slade was making do with a single, thin blanket.
"Aren't you cold?"
"You were colder," was the simple answer.
"Stop it, or I might start thinking you like me," Robin said before he could stop himself.
Slade looked like he was about to say something in return but he had apparently much better control of his own tongue. Like Robin didn't know that. The teen turned back and started muttering something about the cold, because he actually didn't want Slade to confess what the hero suspected, not yet. It was too soon.
They returned home and the teen decided to lay low for a few days which lasted until Slade asked him if he'd gotten his panties in a twist over something.
The Titan didn't bother pointing out how weird that was for a kidnapper to ask, instead he claimed that he just wasn't fucked good −or well− enough and then ran like hell, escaping to the rafters. He let Slade catch him eventually, though, of course. 'Had to give the old man a break', as the teen said. That earned him a spanking.
Robin was unsure about the next step, but he got a little help from fate.
Slade was late back from town. Very late. When the door finally opened Robin had a playful scolding on his lips, but it died quickly when he saw the man stagger inside.
"What the hell?!" Robin flew up from the couch and ran towards him. He was absolutely riddled with bullet holes. "What happened?!"
"I… withdrew some… money and-" the man gasped as he staggered forwards. He was going down, so Robin did the heroic thing and grabbed his arm, which made the villain growl out in pain and fall to his knees instead.
"You robbed a bank?!"
Slade gave him a disgusted look. "No. Someone… saw. Motorcycle gang. Way back. Drove by. Automatic weapons."
"Okay, okay, don't talk, " Robin said. It was a wonder the man could say anything, because judging by the bullet holes his lungs weren't in good shape. At least the wounds stayed below the neck. Robin's eyes darted down. And above the groin. Yes. He checked. He was that terrible. "Let's get you to the bathroom, okay?" Robin said, as that was close, all tiled and held a first aid kit. Not that a first aid kid could do squat against injuries like these, but still.
"You… could… just… escape…"
Robin looked at the door. Open. Even if he wasn't able to start any cars because they needed a code to do so, he could just walk. He could actually escape, right now. Leaving Slade bleeding, maybe dying, on the floor.
"I'm a fucking hero, aren't I?" Robin growled and started more or less dragging the man to the bathroom where he helped him remove the remains of his shirt. "Oh fuck… how are you still alive?" he breathed. "What… what do I do?"
"There's…black bag… desk… get… it…" The man was pale as a sheet, so before following the order Robin got all the clean towels he could find and pressed them against the bigger wounds which were still bleeding. Slade gave him an impatient look and Robin nodded as he got to his feet, leaving the man slumped against the tiled wall.
"I'll go. You just… stop making a mess!" Robin ordered.
It was weird walking through that door. Weird in a scary way. Forbidden. He tried to shake the feeling, but it only increased as he explored the other rooms of the compound, where he had never been allowed. Tech. Lots of it. He could call- then he spotted the black bag with the medical cross on it. Once more he had to make a decision, and it turned into him grabbing the bag and running back to Slade.
The man looked as pale as ever and silently reached out for the bag. Robin dropped to his knees next to him and helped open it. It was filled with surgical instruments of different kinds, mainly clamps and tongs, and Slade picked out a long, thin pair of tongs.
"Why do you need- oh, fuck," Robin said as the man pushed the instrument into a wound. The teen was soon as pale as the villain, and almost lost control of his stomach when Slade withdrew a bullet from inside his chest.
There were places the man couldn't reach, though. Robin balked as the tongs were pushed into his hands.
"No, I- I can't.. .I… can't you just heal around them?"
"Annoying… metal detectors…" the man grumbled, making the corners of the teen's mouth twist upward despite himself.
That turned out to be a sign of oncoming hysteria, though, because soon, as he was helping the man, a realization hit the young man and he started giggling uncontrollably.
"…What?" Slade snapped.
"I'm… I'm… deep inside you… you're so… hot and tight…" Robin gasped.
The man snorted.
"You should… run…" he threatened, while Robin kept performing very inexperienced surgery while shaking from laughter and with tears streaming down his cheeks. He was horrified at both the situation and himself, but there was nothing he could do to stop it.
The wounds were healing, slowly, before his eyes.
"Are you… feeling better?" Robin asked.
"Somewhat." Slade's voice was still clipped, and he sounded winded.
"Good, um… the wounds seemed to have mostly closed, maybe we should wash off the blood?"
As Slade nodded Robin turned on the shower and started taking his own clothes of so he wouldn't soak them.
The mercenary watched the young man strip through lidded eyes. He had taken quite a hit. The bike gang had come up behind his truck and he hadn't even suspected anything until the bullets from the semi automatic weapons had started ripping into him from both sides.
He was feeling slightly better now, though, but there was no immediate need to let Robin know. Robin, who had stayed. Slade hadn't expected that, not even for a second. He might even had let him go… not that he had been in any shape to chase after him, but he might not have hunted him down after healing either… because Robin could never be truly his… or so he had thought. The boy had stayed, though. Stayed and helped, with a worried expression on his face. Well. Apart from the hysterical episode.
Letting him go, if he was making progress, wasn't an option then. But he'd give him another chance by acting weak for a while… besides, he didn't think he actually could walk many steps without support right now. It took time even for his body to replenish all the blood he had lost and try to mend the extensive damage… besides, he wanted to see if the little hero would make a good nurse. Damn shame he didn't have a uniform to make him wear.
Robin washed the man's whole body carefully. Slade needed all his strength just to stand, gripping the shower pipes for support. The dirty water was red at first, then pink, before it turned clear. The teen used a soft washing cloth with mild soap, but avoided the more aggravated wounds. Once the man's upper body, including his hair and face, was done Robin kneeled. He chuckled when he got to the man's groin and noticed Slade's cock getting slightly thicker and longer.
"Stop that, you don't have enough blood for it anyway. It will kill you," the hero scolded him.
"Can't help it. I love seeing you on your knees too much," the man said in a rough voice, a small leer on his face.
"Well, you're obviously not dead…" Robin muttered as he quickly finished up.
He dried the man off as carefully as he had washed him, and then led him to the bed.
"You're going to have to make do with my bed, I don't think you can walk much longer," Robin said, and the man nodded. Robin had wrapped a towel around him, and placed another clean one on the bed for Slade to lie on. "There, now you won't stain the sheets… hopefully…" he tried to joke. When the man coughed –a horrible wet sound− and red drips of blood appeared on his lips, the smile on Robin's face vanished, though. "Shit, Slade, why the hell are you still bleeding?!" The man only shook his head like he didn't know and coughed even deeper. Robin hurried around the bed to support him so he could sit up, but there was nothing more he could do as the man continued to cough until he barely got any air at all. Slade then raised his hand towards his mouth and after a last racking cough, he spit up something that fell into his palm.
"Guess we… missed a bullet…" the man gasped.
"Do you feel better now? What the hell is wrong with your powers!?" Robin demanded to know.
"Nothing… keeping me alive… working hard… need… sleep."
"Of course!" the teen quickly arranged all the pillows behind the man so he could slump back into a sitting position and then went to get a damp cloth to dry his brow, mouth and hands. The man was already asleep, but he seemed to be breathing easier. Robin sighed and went to clean up the mess in the bathroom, ending up doing the same to the trail of blood which led to the bullet-riddled pick-up truck. That was too much of a mess to even consider doing anything about. Robin stayed there for a while, looking out through the open automatic double doors. Then he closed them with a sigh and went back to his room. He checked on the man, took a shower, dressed in pajama bottoms and a t-shirt and then settled down next to him on the bed, intent on keeping an eye on him until he woke up. He managed almost two hours before exhaustion and the sound of Slade's now deep and even breaths lulled him to sleep.
When Robin woke up Slade was still sleeping, which worried the teen. He decided not to disturb him, but since it was morning he needed to fix some breakfast. He found the man's main kitchen –in his room there were mostly dry food like cereal− and brought eggs, bacon, sausages and milk back with him. Once the smell from the bacon drifted through the room, Slade stirred.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" Robin asked.
"The smell of bacon could wake the dead," the man muttered.
"Are you hungry? Could you eat?"
"Starving."
"Should you eat though? I mean, your stomach was a bit of a mess last night…"
"I'm alright now. Don't burn the food."
"I'm not- oh, shit!"
Robin saw the corner's of Slade's lips twist as he carried a loaded plate over to him.
"Breakfast in bed? How sweet," the man drawled.
"Don't get used to it," Robin snorted and fetched his own plate.
They ate in relative silence, mostly because the villain was really hungry and kept shoving food into his mouth. Once his plate was empty he eyed Robin's, so the teen, with a sigh, handed the rest of his bacon over.
While the hero was taking the plates back into the kitchen area Slade swung his legs over the edge of the bed, but remained seated. When Robin came back he followed the man's line of vision. It led to the open door.
"Why didn't you escape?" the man asked suddenly, almost brusquely.
Robin sat down on the bed next to him, staring in the same direction.
"I couldn't just leave you like that."
"Silly little hero." Slade shook his head teasingly.
Robin let out a short laugh. "Well, it's not like you would leave me in that situation, would you?" he asked.
"Never in a million years."
Robin felt his cheeks heat up. "Thanks."
"Thank you."
"Well, you owe me," Robin grinned.
"I would imagine so," the man surprisingly admitted.
"Enough to let me go?" Slade didn't answer, but the teen could see his jaw tighten. "Sorry. I shouldn't have asked," Robin mumbled. "I just have no idea what you want from all this? Do you want me to go insane? Because yeah, this is a big place and you're quite interesting, but I'm going to go crazy if this is the rest of my life! Well, until you get tired of me."
"I won't get-"
"You can't promise that! And what, you have unlimited funds? Don't you ever have to work again? Or are you really going to rob that bank once you run out of money?"
"You don't have to worry-"
"Of course I do! It's my future! It's my life!"
"Exactly! I'm keeping you from wasting it by dying on the street like a dog because you felt the need to 'save' someone!" Slade growled.
"That's not up to you to decide! I need to help people, Slade, that's who I am! If you don't think I'm good enough, then keep training me, but don't stop me from actually living!"
"There's no other way."
Robin's mind was working overtime. All the small ideas he had had since he started this rouse were coming together.
"What if there were?" he asked softly, the anger that had spilled over before now carefully tucked away.
"Like what?" the man looked distrustful.
"I don't know," Robin lied. "Not quite yet. But I'll think about it… and when I'm done, would you listen to me? Just listen? With an open mind? Please? You at least owe me that much."
"Fine," the man sighed a bit irritably.
"Thank you," Robin said in the same soft tone. "Now, why are you still sitting on the bed like some invalid? Are you in pain?"
"I'm a bit stiff." The teen couldn't help but glance downwards at the towel the man still had around his waist. The man caught the look. "Not down there," he chuckled. "Although I'm sure I have enough blood now, to make it happen."
"Don't overdo it. Go stretch instead," Robin snorted. "I'm going to go get dressed. Oh, by the way, what happened yesterday? You only said a few words last night."
Slade told him, grudgingly, because he didn't like that he hadn't seen it coming.
"So... did they get the money, then?"
"What they got were bullets in their heads," the man snorted.
"You killed th-?"
"Don't you dare feel sorry for them or lecture me!"
"I wasn't going to! I was just- How? You were a sieve!"
"Ah, I hear you are impressed, that's better," the man smirked.
"You're impossible. I should challenge you to a sparring match and kick your ass, as you can barely move," Robin snorted.
"There you go, take advantage of people's weaknesses to get your way," the man chuckled.
Robin just snorted and went to get his clothes.
When Robin got out from the bathroom, where he had changed, Slade had fetched a pair of shorts and was working out. The teen blatantly watched as the man stretched every muscle in his body, reminding it what it was supposed to do. He noticed that the door was closed again, but pretended not to. It hurt a bit, though… Slade obviously didn't trust him. On the other hand, why should he? Especially as Robin was currently planning the next step in his escape.
That part was put in motion the next day.
"Slade, do you have a moment?" Robin asked at breakfast. "It's about that idea…"
"Go on," the man said, although he looked very reserved.
"As you know I miss my life and my friends, but… it's not like you're… unimportant," Robin began, making Slade huff. "No, listen; if I had left the other day I would have been back in my old life by now, and I'm sure it would have been great, but… it wouldn't be enough."
"Are you saying that you would miss me?" Slade didn't seem very convinced.
"I would. Really. Everything about you… well… apart from the keeping me prisoner part, and sometimes you kinda grunt in your sleep… I could have left as soon as you seemed to be stable, you know! You slept like a dead man."
"And you didn't because you would miss me?" Slade asked again, still in a voice which was too dry for Robin's liking.
"I didn't because I would lose you!" the teen barked. "I'd lose this. Us" He gestured between them. "Because I'm guessing you would kinda hate me if I left and/or kidnap me again. Maybe do something I couldn't forgive. And hell, I've forgiven a lot." Robin paused and then put on an act of suddenly looking uncertain and a bit shy. "Although… maybe I misunderstood this whole thing… I guess I thought that you…. well… liked me. Maybe I'm just your personal sex toy…"
"You're not." The statement was quick and firm.
"Good… then… here's the part where I tell you how you're going to come back to Jump with me."
"Titans, are you there?"
"ROBIN!" it was Starfire who answered the call, and Robin almost burst out crying when he saw her face after so long. "Everyone! Assemble! It is Robin!"
The hero put on a smile, suppressing his other emotions for now, and soon his whole team was on the screen with a mix of happy and flabbergasted expression on their faces.
"Man, where are you?" Cyborg asked, his voice cracking. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm sorry-" Robin started, but was interrupted by Beast Boy.
"Sorry?! Why the frick would you be sorry for getting kidnapped?"
"Kidnapped?" Robin blinked behind his mask. Slade had let him have it back, but he wasn't wearing his uniform, instead he was in military gear. "I wasn't kidnapped, I-"
"You vanished! In the middle of the night! We thought it was Slade!" Cyborg half yelled, half wailed.
"We searched," Starfire said sadly. "We searched and searched, and yet we were not successful."
"It's been months, where have you been?" Raven asked, to the point as usual.
"I'm so sorry," Robin repeated. "I'll explain everything. The short version is; I got recruited."
"What? By who? And why didn't you call? Have you any idea how worried we've been?!" Cyborg's voice held some anger now.
"I'm not at liberty to say, just that it was the government," Robin sighed. "And yeah, I get that you've been worried, but once I accepted the mission I wasn't allowed to communicate with the outside world at all."
"But prior to departing, surely… a note?" Starfire plead, like Robin could go back in time and change things. Which would be quite difficult as it was all a lie in the first place.
"No, you see… you were right about the kidnapping…. and you were even right about who did it-"
"Slade?!" the team gasped.
"Yes, but again, it's not what you might expect. I went to bed and woke up at a government headquarter. They explained the situation to me, asked if I would help, and I couldn't really turn them down… you see, it was about an old case back in Gotham. I was the only one alive who knew what the guy looked like –apart from Batman, and they couldn't ask him–"
"Why not?" Raven wanted to know.
"Because…" Robin took a deep breath. "Because it was an assassination mission."
"What?!" Cy exclaimed.
"Did you…?" Starfire added.
"No, no!" Robin said, raising his hands. "I didn't even know about the kill order, I wasn't supposed to be involved for that long, but things went a bit wrong."
"I expect the assassin was… Slade?" Raven guessed.
"Yes," her leader admitted.
"But he is a bad man!" Starfire objected.
"Well, yes, but not in the way we have thought…" Robin started to explain. "He's been working for the government the whole time. What he did to us in Jump was to test us. Test me, more specifically. He was asked to make sure I was up for the mission. I guess I passed."
"With flying colors," Slade claimed from the side, making the other Titan's eyes widen to their limits.
"He's there with you? Right now?"
"Yeah," Robin shrugged. Slade's line had been in the script, and Robin moved over so the −now masked− man could step into the frame.
"Hello, Titans. I apologize for any…discomfort… my mission regarding Robin might have caused." They had fought long and hard over that particular line; Slade had apparently something against saying sorry when he didn't mean it, but Robin had eventually convinced him by pointing out that everything would fall apart if his team didn't trust him.
"You're an evil man, Slade!" Starfire growled, her eyes glowing.
"No, he's really not!" Robin objected, and then, when he heard a displeased grunt from the man, added "well, not in a… villainy type of way. He was acting on orders!"
"And you believe that?" Raven asked.
"The boss of the CIA told me, how's that for a witness?" Robin snorted.
"Still, he killed someone? On the mission?" Cyborg asked.
"Yes," Slade said like the subject was boring.
"After a lot of training and mission specific instructions, we were sent to locate a drug lord who was supplying weapons to people America really doesn't want to have more weapons. The guy used to be located in Gotham, that's where I knew him from, but he cleaned up his act pretty well after I left… meaning anyone who might identify him is either dead, missing or won't talk. Since then he has been wearing different masks, and the CIA wasn't sure if it was even the same guy… or just one guy... They needed to know, and things were going well, until… well…"
"Until they weren't," Slade supplied.
"I was captured. I was about to be executed when Slade saved my life," Robin said and gave the man a smile.
"I had orders to kill if possible, but Robin wasn't supposed to be there at the time." The man managed to sound somewhat apologetic once more.
"This is… this is just too weird… Maybe we should go ask Brother Blood if he's really a nice guy too, huh?" Beast Boy said, scratching his head.
"I'm afraid it gets… weirder…" Robin started. "The mission took us to South America, we were cut off from the world for weeks, posing as tourists when we could, but the compound wasn't exactly close to the beaten track. We had to trek through the wilderness to avoid being spotted. Things got pretty rough, but we stuck together. We became friends and… more."
It said a lot about Raven that she only raised an eyebrow while the guys gaped. Starfire, on the other hand, looked puzzled.
"You achieved the level of best friends?" she asked.
"No, Star, we became… lovers. I discovered a lot about myself on this trip−"
"Obviously," Raven said dryly.
"−and one of them is that I'm bisexual." Cy and BB's jaws still hadn't closed and Robin raised his hands. "Guys, I know this is a lot to take in at once, I just wanted to warn you before we show up at the Tower in a few days."
"You? Both of you?!" Cyborg spluttered.
"I want you to meet Slade. The real Slade," Robin claimed. He didn't know how he could keep his voice and face as straight as he did, but he managed somehow. Dear god, if they were so stupid that they bought this drivel, he'd−
"You are most welcome!" Starfire had switched from confused to happy in an instant.
"Yeah, I mean… I guess…?" Beast Boy shrugged.
"Slade has to excuse us, but as long as you come home we don't care if you bring along the whole Brotherhood of Evil!" Cyborg snorted.
"I'll try not to get in the way," Slade said a bit too icily, making Robin quickly chuckle and nudge him as if he had been joking.
"Um, yeah, well… I assume Batman knows I'm missing?" Robin asked carefully.
"Are you kidding?! The whole damn Justice League has been looking everywhere!" Cyborg exclaimed. "We called them as soon as we realized that we wouldn't be able to find you on our own."
"Okay, I'll call Batman. I don't want him to find out about the bisexual thing right now, though−"
"Lucky Batman," Cyborg muttered under his breath.
"−Um. Yeah. Anyway, we'll be home in a few days, three at most," Robin said. "I don't think I need to tell you that even though the mission is over you can not talk about it to anyone. Ever. Not even the JL."
"Got it. Man… I can't believe you're coming home…" Cyborg looked like he was about to burst into tears and Robin was on the verge of not being able to keep the charade up any longer either.
"Yeah… Listen, I don't have much time, the power is running low… I'll see you soon!" Robin said and soon after hung up.
"Dammit, I had hoped they hadn't told Batman," he muttered once the connection was broken.
"Just tell him the same story."
"I will, mostly. But I'll leave most of you out of it. Especially certain parts."
"You can leave me out entirely if you want."
"You're scared of old Bats?" Robin grinned.
"Hardly. I merely can't see any benefits to antagonizing him over you. He'll try to do something stupid, I'd have to retaliate and we'll be back at square one."
Robin had a pretty good idea about what that meant, so he didn't push any further. He made the call to Batman –Slade had assured him that the line was secure and untraceable− and the man reluctantly accepted his explanation and his 'I can't talk about it' answers.
"So, when are we leaving?" Robin asked, once the call was over.
"You're in a hurry, I hear?" Slade said dryly.
Robin shrugged, trying to reel in the urgency he was indeed feeling. "I can't deny it will be great seeing them again, but I was mostly curious about how far it is back to Jump and if I needed to start packing right now. I don't know where we are, remember?"
"We'll leave tonight."
"Okay. It's okay if I bring some clothes, right? I really like some of the jeans and sweaters."
"Bring whatever you want."
Robin gave the man a bright smile and headed back into his room. He noticed that Slade sounded a bit short, but he pretended not to. He was afraid that the man was regretting all this and might change his mind… and Robin was hesitating as well… he was about to bring a dangerous criminal home among his friends! Back into the city, even. Was he being reckless? Most likely. Maybe he was even being an idiot, he wasn't sure… but at least he was going home. Would he keep the charade up with his friends, though? Because what would happen if he told them the truth? That he wasn't the man's 'lover', that he didn't care for him, only used him to get him to do what he wanted… his friends would rally behind him, and then what? Outright war with Slade? He now knew that the Titans were far from ready for anything like that, even all of them together.
Somehow, he needed to 'get rid' of Slade, once he got home. Peacefully. And no, he wasn't considering murder. Idly wishing the man would drive off a cliff was one thing, it hadn't even been seriously meant, but he didn't particularly want Slade to die… just… go away.
Slade, however, seemed to have the opposite intention, judging what he said a little later, as they were eating.
"I hope that you're aware that you will be mine just as much in Jump as you are here."
Robin almost choked on his food and coughed violently before finding his voice, and his cool, again. He waved his hand in front of the man with a teasing smirk.
"Hey, if you like it you'd better put a ring on it."
"If I thought that would help, I would."
Robin had another coughing fit. Did Slade just almost-not-quite-but-almost PROPOSE?! Oh, fuck his life, this was getting more serious than he could have imagined. He didn't particularly dislike Slade as a person, but he felt no romantic inclinations towards him what so ever. He also had a strong feeling that the old dislike would return at first sign of the man being back to his villainous ways. Which reminded him…
"You know you can't commit any crimes from now on, right? Or the story will fall apart."
"What you don't know…" the man smirked.
"… I will find out," Robin finished dryly. "If you feel like being a master criminal, go into real estate. Everything is ruined if the Titans find out that you didn't really work for the government!"
"There is not enough business in Jump anyway," the man shrugged.
Robin sighed. He had hoped to get the villain to denounce his former life, which just might make things worth it, but that didn't seem to be happening. Big surprise. Oh well. He wasn't exactly in love with anyone right now, so what did it hurt to pretend to be? Nothing and nobody. Hopefully.
"Do you have somewhere to live in Jump?" Robin asked. "Because, sorry, but I don't think the Tower-"
"I wouldn't dream of staying there. I have a place. I'll get a new one for both of us."
"Okay, but you know I pretty much work around the clock, right?" the teen warned his 'boyfriend'. He would not play house with the man too!
"I expect I'll be out of your hair working a lot as well," the man didn't sound happy about the situation, though.
Robin, desperate to be free, smiled at the man, "Well, look at it like this: the sex we're gonna have when you come home will be epic."
"Isn't it always?" the man smirked, obviously in a better mood now.
"Hmmm… yes… maybe I won't be able to handle it. I guess it is estate agent for you then. Nice nine-to-five job, which won't leave me sore for weeks."
"We'll see," Slade chuckled. "Go pack."
"Do we have time for this? Aren't we leaving soon?" Robin asked.
The man gave him a look. "The blindfold is because we're leaving. So far you've only seen the wasteland around this place, I'd rather not you'd see any signs to tell you the location of this base."
"Maybe I've already figured it out by the position of the stars and such?" the hero snorted.
"No you haven't, but it's cute that you think that you would be able to." Slade told him as he turned Robin around and fitted the blindfold over his eyes.
"Thanks for the insult," Robin pouted, as he was being turned around again.
"How about I make it up to you by telling you your lips are irresistible?" the man asked.
"Come on! I'm a guy! You can't say stuff like that to-mmm…"
"There, I'm sure that made you feel better," the villain said smugly as he ended the kiss. "Now, let's go," he added, walking away.
"Hey! Idiot! What about me?!" Robin objected, holding his hands out in front of himself.
"Want me to carry you?"
"No! No, I absolutely do not want you to carry m-iiiih!" Robin suddenly found himself in the air. "You're not to act like this around the Titans," he muttered sullenly while hanging over one of the man's shoulders.
"I won't," Slade said, patting his ass reassuringly. "I almost promise."
Robin just groaned in reply.
Slade found himself in a surprisingly good mood as he carried the sulking teen towards the car they were going to use. He knew he was acting a bit childishly, teasing Robin like this, but he was starting to feel more and more confident about all this. After the shock of seeing him wounded, Robin had changed; he had been more openly affectionate than before, and those little hints which Slade had been hanging his fragile hopes on had become substantially more solid. Yes, it was a risk bringing him back to the Titans, a huge risk, but he did understand that keeping Robin here was never going to hold up in the long run… now they had a story to stick to, something that explained his former actions to the young heroes, and hopefully that would be enough.
He was helping Robin into the car; a rather boring looking Japanese car which wouldn't attract any attention, when the teen asked him something which made him feel even surer that he had made the right decision.
"Maybe we can come back here sometime? You know, like a vacation?" Robin said. "Sometimes I really need to get away, but I've never had anywhere to go before."
"Anytime, just say the word," Slade promised, as the warm feeling he got in his chest when he looked at the teen almost overflowed. Robin wanted this. He wanted to be with him. Yes, he was still a bit bothered and he might feel awkward in front of his friends, but Slade would gladly forgive that. He just needed some time to adjust. Robin was finally his.
Robin couldn't see him, but Slade was making pleased humming noises as he drove, which was a good sign. The teen was trying to subtly move the blind fold a little bit, because he really wanted to at least find out which state the compound was in, but it wouldn't budge enough without him being obvious about it. As the night wore on he got more and more tired until he decided to just take a nap.
He woke up with Slade's jacket covering him. He was still blindfolded, but he could tell whose it was from the man's scent. He had a crick in his neck and groaned as he straightened up.
"How long was I out for?"
"All night," Slade told him.
"Can I take off this damn thing now?" he asked.
"I don't see why not," the man chuckled, and Robin understood why when he blinked against the light a moment later. They were just entering Jump City.
"Where are we going to change?" Robin asked.
"You're going to wear your mask when you meet your friends?" the man asked, his voice strangely smug.
"Of course. Aren't you?"
"Yes. I'll take us to a safe place." That strange smugness was still there, and Robin thought he knew why; the man liked that Robin didn't 'trust' his friends enough to be unmasked. Of course it was never about trust; he easily trusted them with his life, it was the fact that others could find out through them… mindreading, torture… it was just safer if they didn't know.
Slade knew a safe place, alright: one of his bases, it seemed. They changed and then the man gestured for him to follow him. To Robin's surprise they headed up on the roof and set off across the city towards the tower. The teen's heart sang, seeing it again.
They stopped on top of a tall building in the harbor and Slade held out something to him. His communicator.
"You had this the whole time?"
"No, this is an old one I stole ages ago. I picked it up at the base. See if you can activate it again."
"No problem." It was an older model, Robin realized, but it didn't take long for him to get a signal. "So… should I just call them, or…?"
"Just one moment." Slade touched the side of his mask and it opened up like a visor. The man then proceeded to pull him close and kiss him thoroughly. Robin was much too focused on being so close to his friends to truly get into the kiss, but he pretended, by pulling the man closer. "Now you can call them. But take this first," the man handed him yet another communicator, this one black and orange. "Keep it close."
"I will. Won't you stay, though, to meet them? It would look suspicious if slunk off into the shadows."
"You're right. I'll stay briefly," the man nodded.
After Robin made the call his team made it there in record time.
"Wow, if I could get you to react that fast to an alarm," the teen grinned just before he almost got crushed in multiple hugs. Even Raven joined in. "I've missed you so much," he added to the cacophony of sounds coming from his friends. He fought to keep back the tears and took a deep breath as he was reluctantly released. "Guys, this is Slade," he said, trying to get the attention off himself.
"Greetings," Starfire nodded, unusually reserved.
"Yeah… hi," Beast Boy added. The other two merely nodded.
"Guys, I know it's weird," Robin said as he walked up to stand next to the man and made himself slide an arm around him. The man's hand came out to caress his cheek, a surprisingly tender gesture despite the metal gauntlets. "You'll get to know him better later, just give him a chance, okay?"
"Why is he still wearing his mask, though?" Cyborg asked.
"Well, so am I," Robin defended the man. "He has an identity to protect as well." He glanced up at the man, and met his eye through the slit in the mask. "Maybe later… in private…?"
"Of course," Slade nodded. "Titans, I'd like to apologize again, in person. My orders were clear, but I caused you a lot of grief."
"You kidnapped Robin!" Starfire exclaimed and for a second said teen grew cold, thinking she had seen through their lie. Then he realized that she meant his time as an apprentice. Slade had also come to that conclusion. "Yes. I had to see if he would crack under pressure, especially emotional blackmail and psychological torture. The probes I infected you with caused pain but were mostly harmless… Still, of course I understand that you can't trust me."
"They should trust me, though," Robin huffed, hating to do so, because of course his friend's instincts were right. "But it's okay, it took me some time to get over it too," he added with a chuckle. "So guys, should we head home? Have you turned my room into a gym yet?"
"Man, don't even joke about it… we thought you were dead!" Cyborg said.
"I'm sorry," Robin groaned. "If I only had been allowed to call you! Well, I won't take any other missions unless I get to tell you where I'm going, okay?"
"You're… going away again?" Beast Boy said, his puppy dog eyes working overtime.
"I'm not planning to, but you never know what might turn up," Robin said. "Slade, call me tonight?"
"Of course," the man said again, his voice quite soft.
Seeing his room again was surreal. He made it through pizza and movie night and into the shower before he broke down and cried like a baby. All the stress, since he woke up in that large stone cage, was trying to leave his body at the same time.
As he was falling asleep something else bothered him, strangely enough; an empty bed. No one beside him, no one to help warm up the sheets or synchronize his breathing with. It was weird. Then the black communicator beeped.
"I was just thinking of you," Robin answered truthfully.
"Really, how come?" Slade sounded amused.
"I'm in bed. Alone. I don't like it," the teen complained.
"Poor thing."
"Wanna come over?" Robin thought it would be the right thing to offer, even though having Slade in the tower made him uneasy. He counted on that Slade would have too much to do, and he was right.
"Sorry, I'm busy."
"Aw. Dismantling your weapons? Signing up for a sale's course?"
"Not quite."
"Oh well, one can dream," the teen sighed dramatically. "Did you call for phone sex then, or…?"
"Just to say goodnight."
That threw Robin off. "Oh. Okay. Goodnight. Will I see you tomorrow?"
"I'll call you." With that the man hung up and Robin ended up starting at the communicator feeling somewhat snubbed. The man hadn't sounded unfriendly in any way, but shouldn't he be a bit more… needy?
The teen shook his head violently. Idiotic thoughts! If Slade found better things to do than him, it was the best thing that could happen! Something would distract the man soon enough, he was sure.
He was wrong.
Robin thought it would be easy, pretending to love the man in front of his friends. It wasn't. It got even worse when they, during the weeks that followed, actually started to thaw up to him. Raven was the one who took the first step.
"You know I can't read minds, just general feelings, and Slade loves him," she told the others over breakfast one day, making Robin choke on his coffee. "He has a lot of darkness inside him, but when he looks at Robin, it's like it disappears."
"Oh man, don't tell me Robin is all gooey-brained as well?" Cyborg groaned, while Beast Boy was making fake gagging sounds.
"I never read any of you," Raven said firmly, making her leader relax a bit. He had been afraid that she would find something very different if she did.
"Maybe we should arrange the party for him?" Starfire said carefully. And so Slade was allowed into their lives, making Robin's more difficult than ever. The teasing was the worst bit, but also that he wanted to warn the others from having plans over new tech or the Tower's security laying around, for example. Not that Slade needed to look at the security; he had his own key card. Robin had been forced to give it to him when Starfire pointed out that it was strange that he had to be let in.
Slade also took off the mask once he was inside the tower, which helped with the trust issues but made the teasing worse. Robin was now asked where his 'sugar daddy' was more than ten times a day. It was getting old. Really old. Finally he snapped.
"I don't love him, okay?!"
"What?" Cyborg asked, in the middle of a joke. The others looked up too, and then gathered around.
"What do you mean?" Raven frowned.
"Shit…" Robin sighed and rubbed his face. "Okay, I'm going to tell you the truth, but you all have to be very, very careful, okay?" And then he told them. Everything.
Slade was having a good day. He had finally found the perfect apartment. It was down by the harbor, and the standard was enough to match what his little bird had been used to in Wayne manor. He wanted to spoil him, after all. He had noticed that Robin wasn't quite content with hotel rooms or back alleys… the teen had been tenser since they got back, but the lack of their own space was probably part of it. He had been busy furnishing it for the past couple of days, and now it was time for the big surprise.
He heard the Titan's voices coming from the next room. He frowned. There seemed to be some kind of an argument.
"So I don't love him!" Robin explained again. "I used him. He fell for it hook, line and sinker. All I had to do was pretend that I cared, bat my eyelashes at him a bit, and before I knew it he agreed to bring me back here… I just couldn't take all your teasing! Seriously, how the hell could you ever believe I would fall for someone like him?!"
"I guess the next step is figuring out how to break up with me, then," a cold voice said from the side.
Robin gasped and spun around. Slade was standing there, his mask under his left arm, his stare as icy as a glacier.
"Slade! I… I was just… I didn't mean… I…"
"I guess I let myself be fooled," the man sighed. "Unfortunately… you're mine. I can't let anyone else have you."
Robin saw the man lift the gun much too late.
Slade knew that he had made a mistake the moment he fired. At that instant he made another decision. His healing powers made him pretty much immortal, but he had very little interest in this world anymore. He doubted that he would survive having his brains blown out. Robin certainly hadn't. He lifted the gun to his own temple and pulled the trigger.
The End.
A/N: I guess the morale of this story is simple: don't effing mess with people's feelings. I was never letting this story turn to pure fluff, I was never going to have Robin actually fall in love with Slade, but I also don't think that he disliked him as much as he might claim he did. I rarely write these kinds of endings, so I decided to 'surprise' you a bit… surprise! –throws confetti−
Actually, I promised I would blame my beta Aikino for the ending. We were chatting on skype while playing theHunter, and she agreed that the story shouldn't turn fluffy… and then she complains when I end it like this! *lol*
I have two gifts to write and then I'll return to "The Good Boy" for another arc… about something… not sure what still…