So it's super short and not a lot but it is something! Thank you for all your encouragement and messages regarding the story, I love receiving them. I will update soon, having a baby takes up a lot of time and energy ;)
Richard slumped back on his seat. He allowed his eyes to close for a moment and fought the urge to completely sleep. The past few weeks of being both Nightwing and Richard were hard and starting to take a drastic toll on his body and life. He slipped out his phone and saw a text.
"Going to sleep. I have my last meeting to prepare for my interview with Wilson after tomorrow. Can't get lunch, I am so sorry to cancel again. I miss you. I love you. Be safe. "
His heart sank. It had been over a week since he had seen her. She was given the honor of interviewing Wilson because of her impressive application at work. He was uncomfortable with her meeting him but she was excited that out of all the interns she was given him. She was too close to Bruce so her friend Roy got that position. She had been spending a lot of time with Roy and with his exhausted body and spirit Richard couldn't help but jump to conclusions and get jealous. His anger swelled up at another cancelled plan so he decided it best not to respond just yet.
He started the small jet for the trip home. It had been over a month of patrolling Jump City and not the slightest trace of Slade. Richard knew he was being played but he also knew he needed to be there. With all of the life that he was missing back home he was determined to make Slade pay. He was heading home to get an hour of sleep, wake to work out, get ready then head to the office, head home to meet with Bruce about a new Robin, and then head back to Jump City.
The new Robin. Bruce had suggested it. Finding a new ward to take on and teach, while Richard moved to Jump City permanently. This would ensure that their real identities would not be found out, and that Richard could be close to Jump City should Slade act on his threat. Richard had avoided this conversation a few times, and he knew that Bruce knew why. He couldn't move to Jump City and ask Kori to come with him, leaving all of her hard work behind. He did what he had done in the past with this conversation, push it out of his brain and go on auto pilot on the way back to Gotham so he could sleep.
Kori sat in her meeting, her feet tapping as she stared at her phone. She was waiting for a response. The past few weeks had been tough. She was fully supportive of Richard and what he was trying to do. However, it was hard. She wasn't sure how it was going to play out when they started this arrangement but she wasn't expecting this.
"That happened a few months ago, when that Walker criminal shot up a restaurant."
Kori's attention heightened when she heard Walker's name. Her mind went back to when she learned Richard's secret.
"Wilson released his new idea the same day that Walked was admitted to Arkham." Roy spoke up.
Kori was suddenly aware of those in the conference room. She knew that none of them knew she was with Walker during that, but she was hypersensitive. She didn't know that he was put in the asylum. Richard must have had a say in that. She didn't know what her coworkers were talking about but she knew she needed to stop focusing on Richard and continue preparing for her meeting with Wilson.
"You okay?" Roy whispered to her. She nodded, the concerned look not leaving her face.
"Tomorrow all of these impressive gentlemen will be coming into the office before lunch. Your story needs to be on my desk the next morning." Her boss said as he exited the room. Her coworkers who each had a business tycoon had horrified looks on their faces. Thankfully, since Roy knew she had connections to Bruce and she helped him prep, Roy offered to help her prep.
"Lunch at our place?" He grinned. She gave him a grateful nod. They left the conference room and headed down the street, quizzing each other on the information they needed to know about their people. As they say in the small bistro where they had gotten lunch over the past few days, Kori's phone went off. She stopped mid-sentence and pulled it out rushing the read the text.
"I love you. I miss you. I am not going to Jump City tomorrow night. I'll come with Bruce to his meeting at the paper and then once you are done we can do something. I know you'll have to do the article, but I can at least be with you while you do that."
She smiled.
"You seem happy about something." Roy grumbled at her.
"Oh, it's," she smiled, her heart feeling frazzled, "um, I guess Richard will be coming with Bruce tomorrow."
"Awesome." He said, but Kori was so excited that she missed his sarcasm. She responded to Richard.
Richard read her text in the middle of the meeting, confirming the opening of a Jump City office. Bruce was constantly suggesting a different manager for that branch while the board fought to have Richard instated. It was going exactly as both had planned, to help the image of Richard was just Richard.
"Well I can't fight you anymore, if you want Richard and he thinks he can handle it, then we can place him. I have complete faith in his abilities." Bruce said looking at him. Richard placed down his phone and gave a solemn nod.
"I can do this, and I thank you for your faith in me." Their meeting continued as Richard's fate moving to Jump City was confirmed.