Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. I do own this plot line.

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EQUINOX

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"But Kori, how am I going to take care of you now?"

"As I recall, you promised to take care of me Richard, yes, but did you ever expect for us to have anything less than a partnership?"

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Chapter 5

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The noise. Danger. It must have been an unusual weapon. He was on the ground on all fours off the bed, then reaching for his weapon, calling out for Vic when it was started... but things did not add up.

Carpeting. Air conditioning. The suppressed sounds of a woman – Kori? - moving, stumbling, crying out.

Please be a dream. All of it. Damnit. That would be better.

Shit. Shit. SHIT!

Too little sleep, too much war. Dreams. Bad ones. Something triggered it. It's a great skill to be a light sleeper in wartime at the war front, not in a hotel room with your girlfriend who is currently freaked out somewhere across the room.

Shit. Shit. SHIT!

Kori had also been dozing and Tamaran, especially Tamaras, the capital city, was not always the safest of places. Not completely oriented either, someone flailing and calling out for backup so close by, the drills came back to her. Flinging herself out of bed, hitting the floor and listening to figure out what to do next, her foot caught the hem of her dress and the tug forced the slim straps of the bodice to give way. Now completely oriented, embarrassed and now strategically uncovered, she scrambled to her feet and out of Dick's bedroom, running over to her own bedroom in the suite for a quick change of clothes before returning to check back on Richard.

Quickly surveying the room, Richard realized what had happened. A noise – or perhaps not – entered his dreams and brought him back to the barracks and one of the many attacks, morphing to a skirmish whether it was this tour of duty or a previous one. He hadn't let down his guard from his most recent under cover assignment, he'd barely been allowed any REM sleep, so near-hallucinations, the dream world invaded the reality.

Summer was beginning to fade in Bavaria but there was plenty of light filtering through the corners of the drawn curtains in what was now the early evening hours, and it was easy for him to navigate over the bed to find Kori. He was aware he'd frightened her, he'd heard a squeak and her stumble and scramble and leave the room. Was she all right? Scared of him? Why had she left the room?

He knocked on the door quietly. He didn't want her to think he was crazed still. "Kori?"

Kori had barely made it to her room, looking at the damage to her dress. She'd also gotten carpet burns on her knees and they began to burn now that the adrenaline had peaked and she was catching her breath. The straps of her dress had left nice red marks in her shoulders before giving way, but as she looked in the mirror, she doubted it would leave much of a mark.

"I am here Richard."

"Are you okay?"

"I am... not terribly damaged."

Richard was alarmed. "Damaged? You got hurt? Can I come in?"

"Umm, well..."

"Kori, please-" he opened the door anyway, not considering that her bodice would be torn away at the shoulders, leaving her in her barely-there strapless demi-cup bra.

His tone was soft, concerned. "Oh, I didn't mean to intrude." He then noticed the welts on her shoulders and tried not to look at her chest. "What happened?"

"I believe I am as coordinated as the rhorthian zothgar stag in rut. I did the tripping on the hem of my dress when I got, well, started and jumped out of the bed earlier."

"About that, I guess I'm still in the mindset of being on the front." Richard rubbed the back of his neck, the heat compounded when he allowed his dropped eyes to rake over her chest bra. Her breathing pattern brought to mind the word heaving. Was she going to cover up? He shifted, he knew his pajamas was not hiding his physical response to the situation. Then his actual brain kicked in. "And what's a rhorthian zothgar?"

"It is a mythical creature, obscure apparently, from the folklore in the oral tradition of my country. I mean, my people tell the stories about them... may I change out of my dress?" She then gave him an amused look, as aware of his body as her own.

"Oh I'm so sorry, I'll give you some privacy." His actions didn't follow his words as his eyes locked on hers and he made no effort to leave.

Raising an eyebrow, she said tartly, "If we were in a one bedroom suite, I would not have had to do the leaving of your room to get a change of clothes."

"True..." he said carefully.

"However, I do need assistance with the zipper. With the straps broken it has fallen and it is hard for me to reach it." Kori was a bit nervous, her earlier bravado had surprised her, but she had tried to take off the dress when she first got to the room and was unsuccessful in reaching the zipper pull. The help was needed and Richard's attention was what she had wanted all along. They hadn't gotten more than a few kisses in so far...

"Certainly."

Richard came around behind her and they had the enticing sight of viewing themselves in the mirror. He let the zipper down slowly, and after it started met her eyes in the mirror. She let out a sigh and shivered. Willing himself not to get too caught up as he helped her step out of the dress he asked, "Where are you hurt?"

"Nowhere really, just a bit sore at the shoulders where the straps were and also on my knees. I did the scraping of them on the carpet."

He dropped a kiss on her right shoulder and then her left, each to the side of the red marks that had been left. "It's a shame about the dress, I loved it on you. We'll have to get you another one just like it. Why don't you sit down and I'll take a look at your knees? Do you want a robe?"

"Well, you have seen me before in my underwear." She turned to face him.

"I do remember. After sledding." He lightly stroked her arm and she shivered. "Cold?" he teased.

"Perhaps I was just remembering how cold it was that day we were doing the sledding and you did the wrestling of me in the snow."

"As I recall your body was so cold in some places and so hot in others." Richards eyes flicked from her eyes to her lips, now both his hands stroked her arms, giving her the lightest of touches.

She swallowed, her throat dry. "As was yours."

Richard cleared his throat. "I better take a look at those knees."

"Yes, you should before-"

"Before we get..."

They were interrupted by the loud grumbling of her stomach. Richard briefly wondered if that noise was the one he thought was weapons fire and certainly knew better than to mention it.

"Something to eat?"

Kori blushed crimson. "Yes, it is probably a good idea."

"I really should take you out for a proper meal."

"Room service is fine, Richard. We have not had a moment together, I mean-"

"I know, when I've been awake, able to pay attention to you. I owed you a much better reunion than this one."

"We have a number of more days as I recall."

A few images flashed in his head and Richard wondered how inappropriate they were. "We do. To get to know each other, fall further in love."

Kori let out a happy noise and hugged him. "I love you, Richard Grayson." There was nothing cold about there bodies now.

"I love you too, Kori Anders. Why don't we order some food, then I'll take a look at those knees."

Kori knew the room service menu by heart having already been there for a few day, and they placed the order quickly. Richard retrieved a robe provided by the hotel for each of them, and took a look at Kori's knees.

"They are not bad, Richard, they are not skinned, but the rug burns."

"Yup, looks that way."

"'Tis a pity to get them that way."

He let out a bit of a groan and gaped at his innocent girlfriend.

"What? Perhaps I have not experienced the wild and, what is it, wooly behavior, but I am certainly not aware of it! I went to college, I am in graduate school, I have more than a passing interest in these things."

"Good to know."

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They dressed in casual clothes and waited for dinner, finding some classical music to play in the background. Richard ordered some French champagne that was brought up almost immediately and tried to politely ask the French Sommelier if he could serve the wine to Kori himself, but the man would not hear of it. Kori tried to withhold a giggle as Richard went through the proper protocol of approving of the very nice bottle of bubbly. It wasn't that Richard didn't appreciate things being done as they should, he just wanted time with his girlfriend and felt the presence of the other man in their suite intrusive.

Finally alone again, Richard took a moment to toast his love. "To you, Kori. Thank you for being in my life, thank you for all the letters and support, thank you for spending these two weeks with me, for waiting all these months for me and thank you most of all for loving me."

Kori felt tears come. She hadn't expected the words, at least not then. "Oh Richard, thank you, I never thought-"

There was a knock at that door.

"I will finish my thought in a moment. I shall get it and not allow anyone to come in and take up any more of our time."

"Oh no you don't," Richard said playfully, jumping in front of her, blocking her path to the door, "the last time you were at a hotel, well, Bed and Breakfast, as I recall, you fell in love. I can't chance it'll happen again."

"Richard," she said with a laugh, "what has gotten into you?"

"I do believe the Sommelier simply entered the room to impress you. I'm the jealous type. Can't take my chances."

"You are very silly."

"Maybe. Now be a good girl and let me get dinner, and then we can get back to alone time." He gave her a lingering kiss, the first they'd actually shared for hours.

"Very well."

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The bellhop was easy to convince to allow Richard to push the trolley into the room, and after pulling out Kori's chair for her, he served her the appetizer of Herring Beetroot and he placed his baked butternut squash down for himself. Although it is more traditional for the evening meal to be lighter than the midday one in German, it is not unheard of to eat a large evening meal, and certainly not in a hotel. Richard had ordered a lot, knowing Kori's appetite, and his own. He'd lost weight and although he wasn't sure if he could eat all he had ordered in one sitting given what he was used to getting, he was certain he'd be taking the opportunity to enjoy as much food as possible on his 'shore leave'. So, maybe he'd snack later. Or Kori would.

Kori was almost finished her appetizer and, having finished her champagne, was enjoying a glass of Reisling they had to complement the meal when she said, "Richard, I must finish my toast to you."

He smiled, happy she remembered. Her words meant so much to him, not that he had said what he had just to evoke a response from her.

"To my Richard, thank you for loving me, and letting me into your life. I know it is not easy for you to be close to anyone, and I am most honored."

He was surprised, not that she was that attuned to him, he knew that she was, but that she was honored by it. Honored... an interesting word. He wasn't sure what to say. "Kori, it's easy to love you." He took her hand from across the table. "I'm glad that you are the only woman I've ever loved."

She hadn't known that. Maybe on some level, or had he said that in a letter, she wasn't sure at the moment. It felt like a responsibility almost, it felt incredible, yes, it was definitely an honor, a gift. "And you have been the only man I have ever wanted to be close to, the only one I have ever loved."

"And that means so much." Wanted to get close to could mean a couple of things, dating, sex, commitment, marriage? He wanted to know but depending on the answer, they were in the middle of a meal...

Reading his thoughts, and feeling a bit of the alcohol from mixing the champagne and the heavy Reisling, Kori said, "Shall we eat and not turn our discussion for now to less, um, distracting topics?"

"Perhaps..." Richards tone was playful as he stroked her across the top of her hand. "Although it is something we should discuss more."

"Yes, most definitely, and I hope we can very soon and very thoroughly."

"You won't find me arguing with you there."

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To be continued...

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Thank you for reading and reviews always appreciated.