However, the day was full of surprises for Richard John Grayson.

Dick smiled to himself as he recalled the events that followed. He expected Kory to be angry at him and tell him that she would want him to stop impersonating batman or to start taking her inputs into consideration. A part of him even suspected she knew he was keeping an eye on her, and she wants nothing to do with him and he should leave her alone for good, but never in his wildest imagination had he expected her to say that she wanted him to take her to those fancy restaurants for burger and beers that they visited so often.

Dick remembers the time when they were teenagers and would hang out at the local pizza place in Jump, located on top of the very place Kory had accidently tried to destroy when she first landed on this planet. Kory had enjoyed the pizza and burgers of that place relishing the taste of local cuisine. As Starfire and Robin, Dick had taken her to various local joints for dates that were not very expensive as Robin being a teenager and a hero wasn't supposed to be able to afford it. It was only on their date as Dick and Kory when he would wine and dine her at fancy restaurants. Dick found her excitement over the fancy napkins and hard to pronounce dishes along with the exquisite ambiance adorable. As Dick Grayson, he was accustomed to such a lifestyle and as Kory Anders, she was just getting introduced to this world. Kory would always be ever so grateful to Alfred for taking the time and teaching her proper social etiquette. Dick never cared for that and wanted Kory to be as she was, but being the top fashion model, Kory felt it was appropriate to learn Earthen social etiquette when she had to mingle with the rich and snobbish crowd due to the nature of her job. Alfred, who was extremely fond of Kory, was delighted to and Dick knew the old butler was still in touch with the princess, although he would never tell.

Dick opened yet another bottle of beer wishing he had some craft beer and a frosted mug for the same.

For every bottle of beer Dick had, Kory would drink 13 to be able to match his drinking capacity. When he, Wally, and Kory drank together, Dick would almost always be completely wasted while trying to catch up with the metabolism of his best friend and his girlfriend who would go shot for shot of various liquors and poor Dick would wake up hugging the porcelain pot with a very blurry memory. And when Kory decided to get drunk, those were always fun. Dick loved a drunk Kory, the stories he had of the drunk super alien girlfriend were too good to be true.

When Kory and Wally decided to get Drunk, it was a matter of public safety and thus Dick would always decide to remain sober. It was not so much as to keep Wally and Kory alive, but more so to keep the other people who happened to be in that vicinity alive and safe. More times than he can count Dick usually had to stop those two from giving life-threatening dares to one another. Dick remembers one time Wally got drunk and dared Starfire to throw him with her full strength, so he could slide on air. The conversation went something like this:

Wally: "Foxy Red, throw me like a boomerang and I bet I will land right on you"

Kory: "Okay Sexy Red, let's do it"

Dick: "NO"

They often raced where Wally would run and Kory would fly and bring Dick a piece of an item that he would suggest, whoever bought it first naturally won. It could be as small as a t-shirt from Donna's closet or an arrow from Roy's quiver to as bizarre as a maple ice cream from Canada or a taco from Mexico.

So naturally, when Kory asked for this, Dick could not refuse her. The moment she expressed her emotions, a dam of emotions Dick didn't know he still harbored inside broke and all he wanted to do was take her to those places again, to relive all those memories again and to wake up next to her gorgeous face, warm cuddles, and soft snores.

Dick lost all control of his restrictive mind and just followed his heart, letting his emotions run free for what seemed after a long time. Suddenly all the reasons why he shouldn't be doing this were thrown out the window. Nothing else mattered and no one else mattered. Words began flowing from his lips before his mind could process what he was actually saying.

Dick felt what he could only describe as his heart opening up to all the love he held for Kory. The feelings and emotions that he had locked up behind his sense of duty to batman and his mission had taken over him. The alien plants and everything else be dammed. The only thing that mattered was her, his shining star, his sweetest melody, his flying wonder, his golden sun, and his heart's deepest desire – Koriand'r

"Oh Dick"

Hearing his name from the lips of his angel sent a sweet thrill down his spine. Dick wished for her to call him by his name, he wanted to hear the purity and divinity she bought to a simple word. He wanted to feel the warmth that spread all over his body and heart when she sang his name like that of the delicate tinkle of silver bells when Kory called him Richard.

Kory was the only other person after Dick's mother who he let call him Richard. After the death of his parents, Dick didn't like anyone else calling him Richard. Alfred had tried, Barbara too, but he just wouldn't respond to that name. When Kory called him Richard for the first time after he was wounded fatally in a battle, he felt like the angels of heaven had opened their doors and were calling out to him. Never had he realized the love and power his name held until they were spoken by the golden goddess herself and he just had to crawl back to her, no matter what. After that, he didn't like it when she called him Dick at all. And now after all this time, his ears ached to hear those soft rosy lips call him Richard with that velvety voice once again.

Curling his hand around her waist, he pulled her close to him. She always fitted so gloriously in his arms, and Dick never uses that word but the way her body fitted perfectly against his, how could he not use that word. Dick was lost in his emotions, he was lost in her golden warmth, the warmth that always made him feel safe and loved, the warmth he had once called home. There were so many things Dick wanted to tell Kory at that moment, but none of them mattered because she was right there, in his arms and he in hers, just where they belong.

Hearing Kory whispering, "This feels so right," the emotions that reflected his own heart, Dick just wanted to tell her how he felt. For someone who has never voiced his emotions, always hid them as his mentor had taught him, Dick needed to voice them right now. His heart was in charge, and he needed to tell Kory what he felt. An entire night wouldn't be sufficient for him to word his feelings but he had to start somewhere and so he did by admitting the fear that he hid in the deepest corner of his heart, the fear he always refused to acknowledge, and the one emotion his mentor had taught him to neglect, the fear of his love for her.

Dick was so used to the shadows of Gotham and the ways of the bat that when Kory brought her shine to his life and swept those shadows away, it frightened Dick and he ran back to Gotham. This was something he had never voiced to Kory before. He had always planned on loving her from far and then moving on to Blüdhaven when the time came. He owed Kory the truth and since his heart was in charge, he told her. He feared she would go away from him again, so he held her closer, tighter, and to his delight, she only melted into him more. Dick at that moment felt nothing but love and warmth in his heart, the joy of being with the one you love, and the possibilities of a brighter future as he realized he should have basked in her light instead of hiding in Gotham.

"My Handsome, Crime-Fighting Dark Prince." Dick snickered at that name. It was a private joke shared between the two and Dick was just pleased she remembered that and had humored him. At the same time, he was also a little bit disappointed she hadn't called him Richard yet, but he knew he would have to earn that title back. When Dick made the switch from Robin to Nightwing, he was tested by various villains and foes alike, but he was determined to do it all alone. Dick just like any other human being had his doubts and insecurities when he decided to switch and bless her heart, Kory had been his support all throughout.

On one such night, when he loomed in the shadows of the night, testing out the new costume and name he came across the notorious Red X, who had not only stolen from him but was also flirting with his girlfriend. Dick would never admit it, but he was jealous of Red X, jealous of how he was doing as he liked, jealous of how he flirted with Starfire openly and would seek her out, jealous how he didn't have to answer for his actions, and jealous of how he could live in the grey; something Dick never could.

Kory and he were patrolling together as the time they got to spend together reduced drastically, she was happy to take whatever she got. Letting him forge his own identity, she never interfered in his work unless he specifically asked for her help. Unable to endure the flirting of Red X with his girlfriend toppled up with the criminal managing to escape yet again, Dick was furious and as he would, he lashed out at Kory. Knowing this was nothing to do with her and more with his insecurities, Kory managed to calm Dick down with her love and reassurances, calling him her handsome, crime-fighting dark prince. She always knew exactly what he needed, many times even before Dick knew it himself. She was by his side when he needed her, gave him space when he needed it, her support was silent or loud just as he required it. Kory got him and Dick would be ever so grateful that she was there with him when he made possibly one of the biggest decisions of his life. Dick was glad for Kory's part in the making of Nightwing because without Kory there wouldn't have been a Nightwing, definitely not the Nightwing everyone knows and respects today.

The Gods are really punishing him Dick concluded because just as he was about to kiss her and taste those sweet lips of her while basking in her shine completely, he felt vines encircle his legs and pull him away from Kory.

Dick groaned and placed his hand over his head as he finished another bottle. He was what? three maybe four bottles down already? He had been so close to kissing her and just as he was about to dip his head and smash their lips together, he was yanked away. There was no doubt left in his heart that he had missed her. Missed her voice that scolded him when he was being an idiot, missed her ears that listened to his rantings and thoughts, missed her hands that held his when he was lost, missed the tinkle of her laugh when he did something funny, missed her scolding glare when he didn't take care of himself, missed her hugs that would make everything better, missed her warmth that filled the void in his heart. He wanted her, he needed her. He was so close but darn those stupid alien plants had to ruin everything at the last second.

Staring at the empty bottle in hand Dick allowed himself to wonder what would have happened if he had kissed her during that battle. He dared to allow himself to dream to those moments when he could feel his lips against hers, the taste of her tongue as he slipped his into her mouth, the curve of her body trembling beneath him, the sound of her voice as she moaned his name.

God knows he had missed her.

Chuckling at his sour luck Dick made his way to the refrigerator again as he pulled out his last bottle of beer, so that means he had already had five from his six-pack that was in the refrigerator. Drinking with Kory and Wally certainly had built up his alcohol tolerance, not that Dick ever had low drinking capacity.

The ease at which Dick slipped into old habits astonished him, as he recalled calling her babe when she began to slip from his arms. And even more astonishing was the fact that he had been so engrossed in his emotions that he hadn't even realized that he was the one who was being pulled away from her. His brain that had just registered her words of giving him space and couldn't fathom the idea of her leaving him again and so he called out to her, using the nickname she loved, begging her not to give him space yet.

The emotions, the words he spoke, his actions towards her, his desire were all real. The green fumes from the alien plant had made both of them say and do the things they did, but the fumes hadn't created something that wasn't there, nor amplified what was there. It had simply helped shut the barrier between his heart and his mind and for the first time in a long time, Dick actually voiced what was in his heart directly. There were no masks, no hidden meanings, no pretending, just plain honest feelings straight from the heart.

Watching Kory get further away from him, Dick called out to her again in a desperate attempt to bring her back to him again. Being so fixated on Kory, Dick hadn't even comprehended that he was going to become alien food in a few moments, all he could think about was how he wanted her in his arms. Lucky for him Kory had snapped out of her haze and fought her way to Dick. Dick just watched in glee as he saw her approach him, bending her body in ways only a cat could she freed him from the vines that had enveloped him.

As Dick was about to kiss her again, Kory called him her ex-boyfriend. The pain of those words rang sharply through his heart jolting him out of his emotional haze. Dick watched in awe as Kory blasted the giant alien plant with all her strength. Watching her unleash a giant starbolt with one hand and the other around his waist as she carried them to safety sent an exhilarating thrill down his spine. Dick had watched her fights on tv, heard about them from others, but even that hadn't prepared him for the pure strength she exerted until he had witnessed them by himself, and he realized just how much he had underestimated her and held her back.

Kory truly was a wonder.

Taking care of the rest was easy. The main threat had been destroyed and the green fumes no longer held the influence they had a few moments ago. Words seemed futile now when Kory became all professional and a part of Dick wondered if Kory meant every word she said.

".. I'll follow your lead"

Dick admitted to Kory as he busied himself in finishing up the mission. Kory hadn't spoken to him for the rest of the tasks and only floated near him when she was done. Feeling some awkwardness, Dick tried to dismiss the matter at hand by declaring they were all done. He would lay the ball in her court, let Kory decide how she wanted to set the stage now. Dick sensed her hesitation as she landed next to him. Not wanting to force her into reliving them Dick tried to soothe her by saying they didn't need to talk about it, even though Dick so desperately wanted to.

A soft smile played on his lips as she decided she wanted to talk about what happened. Apologizing for her words, Dick realized Kory was also apologizing for some words she had said to him in the past. Trying to lighten the mood Dick tried to make her smile again only to be met with a sad pout as Kory apologized for being manipulative. Dick knows Kory can never be manipulative, that's not in her nature. Sadness enveloped his heart as he realized by those words she was trying to take back the love she had declared under the influence.

Placing a hand over his heart, Dick held her gaze as he firmly told her he doesn't take back anything. He had meant every word and recognized all the emotions that his heart carried for her. Even though Dick was still tethered to Gotham for the near future, he acknowledged to himself that he needed her light. Dick had to tell her how he felt, he acknowledged out loud that he isn't scared of her light anymore. Sensing she needed some assurance; he praised her skills as a warrior and promised to respect her shine.

There were a million more things Dick wanted to tell her, but more than anything he wanted to kiss her again. To kiss her away from the influence of any alien fumes, to kiss her with everything he is, and to kiss her knowing what she truly meant to him. The dam of emotions his heart hindered had been broken and Kory needed to know just how he truly felt. But darn, luck had run out on him a second time as Kory's communicator beeped and his soon after.

Robin sure had bad timing as did Cyborg.

"Where are you flying off to?" Dick asked her as she got ready to soar through the sky.

"Tokyo" Kory smiled back at him.

"Takes you 20 mins? You've gotten slow" Dick teased her.

"I have to make a stop on the way," Kory said flipping her hair back.

"Oh yeah? What for?" Dick asked genuinely curious.

"Burgers," Kory said smiling with a slight blush. "I have a craving now and I am sure cyborg would appreciate a cheeseburger as well"

Dick had to laugh out loud at that. Same old Kory, thinking of others. She waved as she lifted off telling Dick it was good to see him again. The sincerity in her voice told her she had meant it even though she told him specifically he guesses to assure him. Smiling, even though a part of him was choking up, all he could utter was "Ditto," when so much was still left unsaid.

Watching her fly away Dick realized she wasn't the same girl who came crashing down to Earth all those years ago. She wasn't the same Kory who had kissed him to learn his language. She wasn't the same Starfire who carried him across the sky. She wasn't his girl anymore. He couldn't look at her as his lover anymore but rather as something he lost in his battle. The confused girl was a strong confident woman who had embraced Earth as her own. The Kory who had kissed him spoke languages of Earth that even he didn't know. Had collected knowledge from around the galaxy that he wouldn't have even fathomed. She wasn't the same Starfire who used to fly him across the skies, she was now the Starfire who carried a new saga across the oceans. She wasn't his lover anymore, she was the greatest experience that had ever happened to him and now she's his greatest loss, a regret that he lost her in his battle.

Staring at the orange flames that she left behind, he mounted his bike heading towards Atlanta to help Robin.