Thursday, 31 December

Robin woke up slowly with a big smile on his face. He and Slade had finally done it for real last night. Several times. Just to make sure things were properly done, the man had claimed. It had been amazing and long overdue, but Robin's wounds were finally healed enough so that no tape was needed. It would still be a while before they would be completely healed over, but at least he could move a whole lot more freely, something he hoped the man had appreciated. He reached over towards the other side of the bed, thinking that maybe they could do with a rehearsal. The side was empty.

Robin sat up and looked around. No Slade. His side of the bed was cold. For a moment an equally cold fist squeezed his heart, but then he heard a sound that he had never appreciated as much as he did that moment; the toilet flushing. Then the tap in the bathroom turned on and a little bit later Slade walked in through the door. Completely naked.

"Already up?"

"Yup," Robin said. "And getting more up by the second," he added with a leer, gesturing to his crotch, which was starting to pitch a tent under the sheets.

"You're going to wear me out. I'll fall asleep before midnight and Bruce will tease me," Slade complained jokingly and then he was suddenly on top of the teen. "But let him tease," he added.

"Yeah, you better make it up to me, letting me wake up alone," Robin said. It had been meant as a joke, but something must have given him away, because Slade narrowed his eye.

"You didn't think…?" the man asked.

"Just for a second!" Robin defended himself. "Stupid, stupid brain, remember?"

"Maybe you weren't ready for-" the mercenary started, and withdrew a little.

"Hell yes, I was!" Robin claimed, grabbing him again. "It just… brought back some memories."

"I'll be there next time," the man said seriously.

The teen chuckled.

"I think it's actually better if you make sure never to be in the room when I wake up. Get me used to it."

The man chuckled as well. "You might be right. Sooo… need me to help you take your mind off things?"

"Yes please," the teen grinned.

They had breakfast late, when Robin claimed that he now felt suitably distracted, but also hungry. The teen had only recently stopped looking around for his tea calendar in the morning, that habit had been hard to kick. He was having coffee, and grimacing a little bit, as did Slade.

"I won't allow you to bring money into this, but I'm getting a proper coffee maker. If you feel better about it, you can contribute with coffee now and then," Slade told him.

"Not gonna object," Robin grinned. He was checking the news on his phone and suddenly gasped. "Slade, look at this! Pedophile ring exposed! Is this 'our' people?"

"I would think so," the man said, grinning evilly. "Happy New Year to them. I need to make sure they got them all, though," he said, starting to stand up.

Robin put a hand on his arm. "Can that wait until after New Years?" he asked. "I don't want them to take you away from me any more than they already have right now."

The man smiled at him and sat down, kissing him in the process. "Of course," he agreed. "They will have fun in prison, I'm sure. I'm glad Bruce's morals are as… flexible, as they are," he added.

"I think it's hilarious that both of you complain about the other person's morals," Robin snorted.

"Not complaining, in my case. He wouldn't let me kill them, but they still end up dead. Suffering more, most likely."

"It was a… compromise…" the teen claimed, a bit uncomfortably. He knew Bruce had a dark side, and an idea of justice that wasn't always completely… reasonable. He hadn't challenged this, however, because, to be honest, he thought the people would get what they deserved. He guessed his own morals were rather twisted too.

"Sooo…" Robin asked, carefully, after a while. He didn't want to pry, but Slade was already looking at him suspiciously, so he might as well spit it out. "Are all the details sorted through now?"

Slade and Bruce had spent a lot of time together, at the mansion and digital meetings, going through details of a contract they had both decided upon, A one year contract, to start.

"Mostly," the mercenary said. "Bruce wants me to actually be Batman for a while, with a full face mask, of course, but hey, it's corona times, people won't speculate too much."

"But… do you have to? Won't that be… weird?"

"Very. But yes. Just like Selina was right about her joining Batman would be suspicious if Bruce got in a serious relationship at the same time, so would Batman disappearing when Bruce Wayne marries be. So, I'm going to bridge a certain gap and then the Bat either dies or changes. We're not sure yet. Eventually, however, I'll take up a persona of my own. I have no wish to be Batman 2."

"And you can't be Deathstroke either, can you?" Robin said.

"No, too many people know who I am. I had no reason to protect my identity that carefully before. I have now." The man said it in a very matter-of-fact way, but Robin melted inside and let it show. "Don't look like that, you remind me of a dumb puppy," the man snorted.

"Well, you fucked me silly," the teen grinned. "I wonder if there's something I can take for that? Anally?"

The man snorted so badly that he choked on a dry piece of toast, and Robin couldn't help but snicker evilly.

They spent most of the day in bed, not just fucking, but touching, talking, not getting enough of each other. Eventually it was time to shower and get dressed for New Year's dinner at the mansion, however.

"You look damn good in a tux," Robin told the man as he had finished dressing.

"I'm not even looking at you, or we'll never leave this place," Slade said.

"Would that be so bad?"

"I'd like to say no, but I'll miss Alfred's lobster dinner," the man told him with a playful whine.

"Ok, ok, let's go. You drive, that way you'll keep your eye on the road," the teen told him.

Hours later they were standing, champagne in hand, looking out over Gotham City as the clock crept closer to midnight.

"So, what are you grateful for this year?" Bruce asked them. They all turned to stare at him like he was some kind of monster. "I know, I know," he said, raising his hands. "This year has been… interesting. But surely there must be silver linings?"

"I'm grateful to have a bit more of a goal in life," Robin said. "And for this," he added, tightening his one arm-hold on Slade.

"I second that," Slade agreed. "I'm also thankful for every morsel of food Alfred puts on my plate," he added.

"What are you thankful for, Bruce?" Robin asked curiously.

"Apart from the obvious," the man said, smiling at a Selina who was not drinking champagne, even though Robin didn't want to pry into why right now, "I have to say that I'm very grateful for a year without those dreadful parties. When the virus is finally gone, I think we'll keep that up. At least very much reduced."

"On the other hand, now you'll have me there with you," Selina smiled.

"That will make it more bearable. So, what are you grateful for?"

"You, of course. The future," the woman smiled. "Oh, and Alfred's food," she said, toasting the butler with whatever she had in her glass. "What was the best about this year for you?" she asked the old man.

"Oh, I don't quite know, Miss Kyle," the old man said. "I have a feeling we have our biggest blessings in front of us."

As the stroke of midnight drew even closer, Robin, who was just a tiny, tiny bit tipsy, noticed that Bruce and Selina only had eyes for each other and would most likely kiss at midnight. He therefore pulled Slade into another room that also had a gorgeous view over the city. He didn't know if the man would want to do something as common as kiss him at midnight, but either way he didn't want anyone to see. It was… private. He wanted this moment alone with him. Fireworks were exploding here and there, but as the grandfather clock out in the other room started to strike midnight, the whole sky seemed to lit up. It was the city of Gotham who had decided to put on a display on their own, to try to cheer up their citizens. There were those who objected to 'burning up the money' and Robin had somewhat been on that side, but seeing the display now, it somehow seemed fitting. They needed to celebrate that this year was over. He just hoped people were careful about it. He didn't have a whole lot of time to watch the fireworks, because he was about to experience some of his own, as the man by his side pulled him close and kissed him deeply. 2020 was over. 2021 would bring its own challenges, this whole thing was far from over yet, but the future, somehow, still looked so much brighter.

The End…. Or…?Nope, here's a look into the future!

Tuesday, 31 December 2024

"Uncle Robin! Uncle Slade! Come look! Hurry! Hurry!"

"Take it easy there, Tommy," Robin laughed at the excited three-year old. "We're coming, we just need to hand these bags over to Alfred, OK?"

"Ok, Ok, just hurry!" the kid said and ran away.

"Oh-oh," Slade suddenly said behind him. "I'm trapped, I'm afraid. Go on without me."

Robin turned around and burst out laughing. Two-year-old Maria had thrown her arms around one of the former mercenary's legs, smiling up at him widely. She was a bit of a quiet girl, not at all as boisterous as her brother, at least not yet, but she seemed to have taken a liking to Slade from the day she was born. Robin had expected the man to keep his distance from the children, but Slade had surprised him. The man had a very good hand with them, and sometimes Robin wondered if he would dare to ask if they could perhaps, eventually, consider… but no, at least not yet. Besides, he had something more important to ask later.

Slade rearranged what he was carrying, and then picked up the little girl as well, who started talking to him quietly.

"You're making me jealous," Robin grinned at them. "Hello Al, happy New Year!"

"Indeed, Master Richard. Master Bruce and Selina asked to see you in the drawing room before you go gawk at Master Thomas' trainset."

"Of course, where do you want these?" Robin asked, putting down the emergency shopping they had been asked to do. The shopping list was very strange, a mix of ice cream, pickles, eggs and chocolate.

"I'll take care of it, now off you go," the butler ordered them.

"Are you coming?!" Tommy hollered at them from the hallway.

"Now, Master Thomas, use your indoor voice, please!" Alfred told him sternly.

"Sorry Alfred," the boy answered demurely, looking properly chastened. "But you have to hurry!" he added, louder again.

"We have to go see your mom and dad first, ok? For just a second," Robin said, and took the little boy's hand.

"Okaaaaay…" he groaned and came along with them.

"Happy New Year!" Robin called out as he entered the sitting room.

"Happy New Year, Richard. Oh, you brought Wilson. Still together, then?" Bruce said, but with a grin. It was basically the way he greeted them every time they saw each other, which, after all, was often.

"Yes, yes, he keeps hanging around for the Sunday lunches…" Robin sighed, and then grinned at the man in question.

It had been a great couple of years. Not always easy, of course, far from a fairy tale. They were both stubborn, willful and independent, and when Robin had been stressing extra much about school or Slade had had another row with Bruce over his job, it had been tough. They respected and cared for each other enough so that they always found their way back to one another after the storm passed, however. They learned how to compromise, when to give each other space, and Robin honestly thought he loved Slade more now than he did four years ago.

Robin was now a manager for a youth center which focused on troubled kids. It was a city-funded one, not one of Bruce's, and the young man preferred it that way. He knew that he had most likely gotten the position because of the sliver of fame his name as the ward of the city's biggest philanthropist would give that place, but he also had the degree to back it up, in psychology and social studies. He couldn't exactly put experience with being in charge of a team of super heroes on his resumé, but his old days as a Teen Titan really helped towards his experience dealing with teenagers. He was young enough to be somewhat accepted by the teens, and tough enough to earn respect that way.

Slade also had a day job. It had started more or less for tax reasons, a way to explain to the government what he was doing for a living and how he could afford the things he owned. He was a freelancing security consultant. He set his own hours, chose his own clients, and charged a fortune. He was, however, very sought after. Of course, he also had his night job. Batman was no more; two years ago the persona had officially passed the torch on to a figure in black and grey who the media soon named The Stalker. Slade, who had refused to offer them a name for himself, though Robin had suggested amazingly great ones like 'Night Stroke", complete with a special gesture, or "Color-Blind Man" based on his muted suit, had accepted the name with a shrug. It could have been worse, he had said, giving Robin a very level look. Robin had made Night Stroke's secret hand signal back at him, and a chase through the small apartment had ensued, ending happily for them both.

"Happy New Year," Selina smiled at them, and Bruce came over, handing Slade a brandy and reaching out for his daughter, who, however, refused to leave Slade's arms.

"So, you wanted to see us? Tommy is very excited about something," Robin grinned.

"Oh, yes, Tommy, maybe you want to tell them?" Selina said to his son.

"I got a train set!" the tyke announced happily.

"Yeeees… but... remember that other thing we told you this morning?" Selina prompted.

"Oh. Yeah… we're getting a brother or sister!" the kid let them know. "Now, can we look at my train set? Please?"

"Congratulations!" Robin beamed. "Another one?"

"Way to contribute to the over population," Slade snorted, but raised his glass to the couple.

"To be honest this one was a bit of an… oops," Selina let them know, "But a happy little oops, anyway."

"I think I just understood the odd shopping list…" Robin said.

"Yeah… I'm already a bit further along than when we have known about these things before," she said, putting a hand on a stomach which was hidden under the folds of a regency style dress. "Simply because we didn't know about the… oops. I just realized the other day that I wanted pickles and… well," she shrugged, looking a bit foolish.

"Well, I'm really happy for you," the former hero smiled.

Much later, it approached midnight again. The kids had fallen asleep and the two couples did something that had now become tradition; each couple moved to separate rooms to watch the fireworks as the clock struck twelve. There had never been another grand New Year's party at the manor. Bruce and Selina had compromised with a small Christmas party before the holidays, but the holidays themselves were now strictly for family.

Robin was nervous, his heart beating.

"Slade?" he said, just as the man turned to him.

"R-" the man started, but then realized his partner had started talking. "Yes?" he added.

"I… I just wanted to say… these past few years… they have been amazing. And, and you might think this is unnecessary or… stupid, but I've been thinking a lot about it and-" Robin suddenly sank down on one knee, holding up an unadorned platinum ring. "Slade-will-you-marry-me!?" he almost spluttered.

The man looked down on him with a very strange expression on his face. He was quiet for probably not more than a few seconds, but it felt like years. Robin was sure, by then, that he'd laugh at him, and say no.

"Of course."

"Oh. Wait… really?" Robin said.

"Yes," Slade repeated, with a smile this time, and the young man flew into his arms as the clock struck midnight and fireworks from the city lit up the room.

They kissed and then, unexpectedly, Alfred appeared in the room with a tray with two flutes of champagne on it.

"Congratulations!" the man beamed.

"Al?" Robin said. Looking nonplussed. "How did you-?" he then spotted a reflection of Slade in the window, making an urgent 'stop' gesture to the man, and looked back in confusion. "Slade?" he asked.

"I'm sorry… did I make a mistake? Mr. Wilson?" Alfred said, looking worried.

"Not at all, Al, not at all," the former mercenary sighed and then chuckled. "Robin just… beat me to it."

"I… what?" the young man still didn't understand, and he was getting increasingly anxious about it.

Slade then fished out a ring from his own pocket. It was eerily similar to the one Robin had picked for him. The man held it out and looked a bit sheepish. Robin gaped at it, looked from the man to the butler, and then broke down laughing.

"You… you utter BASTARD!" he almost cried. "I WAS SO DAMN SCARED!"

"What is going on, are you two finally breaking up?" Bruce asked from the door, Selina on his arm.

"Quite the opposite, 'dad'. Robin just proposed to me, and I said yes," Slade announced, sounding very smug about it. Robin was still not able to properly breathe and had just collapsed against the man's chest, alternatively laughing and crying happy tears.

"Congratulations," Selina beamed. "This needs to be celebrated!"

"Yeah," Robin agreed, wiping his face, "But if you two don't mind, I think we'll wait with celebrating it with other people until tomorrow. Good night! Happy New Year!" he said and started to drag the man away.

"I hope you have nothing lewd in mind, dear," Slade told him airily. "I am not that kind of man! Not before our wedding night!"

"I think I might be able to make you change your mind on that one," Robin grinned over his shoulder.

"Well, you can try," Slade agreed. "I'm sure I'd appreciate the effort."

"You'd better," the young man laughed. 2025 was looking rather good right now.

The End

A/N: NOW it's done. I hoped you enjoyed the peek into the future! Are there going to be any Sladin stories in 2021? I sure hope so! Suggestions/plot bunnies are always welcome. "What if" scenarios or situations you'd like to see, dark or light, let me know! You never know what might give birth to a plot bunny…