I rolled my eyes at his back as he left the room and called Roy. He picked up on the third ring, and I had a feeling that was specially coordinated.

"Hello, who is it?" he asked casually.

"As if you don't know. Look, I'm really sorry but I have to cancel Saturday. There were some plan mix-ups and I'm going to the opera late Friday."

"Oh." He sounded disheartened and I made it a point to continue quickly.

"So if you wouldn't mind, I'd love your company."

"Realy, at the opera?"

"Yeah, it's a family thing and one of my friends from school is coming. But I always need a handsome man on my arm."

"I'd love to!"

"Meet us in the entryway of Wayne Theatre 6 o'clock Friday night, okay?"

"Sounds great!"

I hung up and smiled, he really was sweet. I went upstairs and did homework until dinner was called and the final arrangements for Friday night made at the table.

I had just changed into my pajamas when my phone rang on the nightstand, caller ID coming from an unknown number. I turned a tracer program on and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey Lissa, it's Rin. I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight."

"It 11 at night."

"I'm a night owl."

"No offense, but I don't really know you well enough to go traipsing off into the night alone with you."

"Well, I got bored and I don't really know a lot of other people. I thought it would be a good chance to get to know each other."

"Bruce won't let me out of the house this late unless it's important."

"Well, who said you had to ask?" I could hear his devilish smile.

This was crazy. And not the usual let's-go-chase-villains-at-night crazy, this was special crazy. Bruce would be furious, Dick would murder me, not to mention the amount of danger I was putting myself in.

But thirty minutes later I was climbing out of my window, weaving around the heat sensors, pressure plates, detection lasers, and cameras. I landed on the ground and booked it for the end of the driveway where Rin's car stood waiting.

"Hey wild child." He smiled and turned the car on, peeling down the private road to the interstate.

"Hey." I said slightly awkwardly

"Never snuck out before?"

"Not for anything like this." I admitted.

"You get used to it. What do you want to do?"

"Ooh, I thought you had a plan. I don't know, just whatever. I need to be home before Bruce wakes up."

"Okay." He drove a few seconds in silence. "Why did you come down in such a weird way?"

"Security system." I said casually.

"You were quite nifty at getting down."

"I'm in gymnastics. I've been in them all my life, and Bruce enrolled me in some master courses a little while ago. It's my passion."

"That's really cool. You can do like flips and stuff?"

I laughed at the vagueness. "Yeah, flips and stuff. What are you into?"

"A little of everything. I like technology, as you have probably figured out. My guardian is into politics though, he really wants me to follow in his footsteps."

"I know Dick deals with that a lot. It's a lot of pressure."

"I'm sure a perk of not being the first son, eh? You can do what you want." He said it lightly, but the emotion behind it was too heavy for me to take it as a joke.

"Bruce is usually pretty relaxed when it comes to my career path. There is pressure, but just for me to do my best. Dick is another story. Bruce did ask him if he wanted to take over and he said yes, but it has always kind of been expected of him."

"The curse of inheritance." He chuckled and switched the topic. "Do you mind if we just go for a walk down the beach? It's a nice night."

"Sure." I agreed and he turned toward the piers.

"You and Richard are really close."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I smiled and raised my eyebrows

"He is very protective of you. He cornered me today and moderately threatened me. And he does not seem to like me. My first day I accidentally hit him in the face with a door. I didn't know who he was, of course." He called over my howls of laughter. "Ever since then I think he is rather upset."

"That is the best thing I have heard all day. He is never going to live that down." I giggled and wiped a tear from my eye. "It probably isn't that though. Dick, and nearly everyone else there, are so wrapped up in appearances and where you come from and stuff. They don't like people who don't belong in their image of a Wayne Academy student."

"It's the hair, isn't it?" he ran his fingers through the purple mess

"Probably." I admitted "Plus, you don't wear your uniform like a badge of honor."

"Speaking of which, you look great out of uniform." He looked down at my shorts, tank top, and brace-less leg. (Bruce would kill me but what he doesn't know won't hurt him.)

"Thanks, you too. The parachute pants are a little unusual, but you can certainly wear them."

"Was that a compliment?" he shot a glance at me.

"No, I was just meaning you have the type of personality to pull those off. You wear one wrong thing as a Wayne and suddenly you're the worst person alive."

"The joys of living in the spotlight." He took an exit and pulled into the beach parking lot. He parked and gave me a smoldering look. "Well, here we are."

I blushed under his gaze. "Yeah, here we are. Good night for a walk."

"Yeah, a walk." He smirked but opened the door and stepped out. He rounded the car and opened the door for me with a bow and a 'Your Highness'.

We headed south on the beach and I held my sandals in my hand.

"So what was Boston like?"

"Loud, full of people. It's a city, after all." He smiled again

"Okay, smart ass." I shoved his shoulder. "You leave any family behind?"

He closed up like a clam. "No, not really. Some friends but no family."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude."

"No it's fine. I didn't leave under the best circumstances. It's not your fault, you didn't know."

"You leave a girlfriend behind?"

"Why, you want to know if I'm single?"

"No, don't get your ego in a twist. I'm just trying to make conversation."

"No, I didn't. There is this one girl though." He gave me a look filled with fiery purpose.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, she's alright. Don't know if she's single though. I'd be surprised."

I bit my lip and looked down. "And what if she wasn't?"

He started a little before grunting. "I said I would be surprised if she wasn't. Who is the lucky guy?"

"He lives in Sterling City."

"Long distance?"

"We see each other sometimes. He works for Queen Consolidated, so we usually see each other at business parties and stuff."

"Lucky guy." He sounded so sincere it almost hurt. "This a pity date then?"

"No. Like you said, it's a good way to get to know you. You don't seem to have a lot of friends."

"Doesn't mean I don't socialize in the real world. I don't make friends with rich kids very well."

"You're my friend."

"You're an interesting case. Bummer though, I had this whole romantic walk set up for nothing."

"It's very appreciated." I looked up at the moon. "It really is a beautiful night."

"Not as beautiful as you."

I rolled my eyes. "Now you're just trying to hard."

"It was worth a shot." He glanced at his watch. "It's still early, you want to walk down to that diner and grab some food? My treat."

"That would be lovely." I smiled and he gave me a funny look. "What?"

"It must just be the moon." He shrugged.

"No, tell me."

"In the moonlight, you're hair looks like it's on fire."

I pushed my panic down, I hadn't felt any anger. It really must have been the moon. "I guess. I've been thinking about going brunette, though."

"No." his face was perfectly serious.

"Why not?"

"I have a thing for redheads."

"What if that just encourages me more to change it?"

"It doesn't." he gave me another of his looks and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

"I wish you would stop doing that; giving me those…looks. It's not fair."

"Oh, you mean my smolder? Is it bothering you?" he did it again, stopping on the beach and stepping closer to me.

"Please, it's annoying is all." I brushed him of and turned to continue forward.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me to him, locking his eyes to mine. They were the blackest black, like a sky with no moon or stars. "I think it gets to you."

"I think you're full of it. Come on, I need to be home before too long."

"We'll see." He winked but released me, moving once again toward the pier. "So tell me about this boyfriend."

"Why?"

"I'm curious to know who it is I'm competing with."

"You're not competing with him at all."

"You said he works for Queen Consolidated, how old is he? He might be a pervert."

"He is our age, he just got an internship and impressed his superiors."

"How long have you two been together?"

"We're not together technically; we only met a few weeks ago. But there is something there."

"Good, so I still have a chance then." He smiled and pushed a lock of my hair back.

"Don't get too cocky. He has first dibs." I shoved his hand away and shook the hair loose again.

"So feisty." He smirked. "Come on, hurry up slow poke. The diner is just up here."

We climbed a sand dune and walked up a path to the pier. After I rinsed my feet off and replaced my shoes, we walked into the diner. We were quickly served burgers and fries, and I dug in hungrily.

"You aren't scared to put some food away, are you?"

"High metabolism." I blushed, slacking off on the face-stuffing. "It's delicious though."

"I didn't make it, but I guess you're welcome." He stole one of my fries. "I suppose you're used to classy food."

"Not really, Pennyworth can make a lot of things. He's made American Classic for us before."

"You have a chef named Pennyworth?" his eyes grew big

"Well, not quite. Alfred is our butler, he does a lot of things."

"You have a butler named Alfred Pennyworth?" he laughed, falling over sideways in his booth. The two truckers sitting at the bar cast us dirty looks. "That is comically cliché."

"It's not that bad. He doesn't, like, bathe us or anything. He takes the calls and keeps the house neat. He cooks and mostly minds Dad."

"What does he call your Father?"

"Master Wayne, of course."

He roared in laughter again. "And-and you two?"

"This game annoys me." I threw a fry at his face.

"Sorry, that is just too good."

"You're a nuisance."

"And you're adorable." He popped the thrown fry in his mouth. "That is the best rich kid thing I have ever heard anyone say."

"I don't know why. Lots of people have butlers and maids."

"Not any of my friends." He checked his watch again. "We should get you home soon. It's almost 2."

"It's that late? It's feels like it hasn't even been an hour."

"Time flies when you're having fun." He smirked and pulled out his wallet, leaving cash on the table.

"Alright, let's go. If I get caught I'm dead."

We left, walking along the beach again back to his car. He streaked down the highway like a mad man and sure enough, a cop pulled up behind us with his sirens blaring.

"I told you."

"Don't sweat it, it's just a ticket." He seemed unusually relaxed for a teenager being pulled over in the middle of the night. A few minutes later the officer walked up to his window.

"Sorry about the rush, trying to get her home."

The officer shined his light on me and instantly recognized me. "Why were you two out so late?"

"Study session, you know how high school goes."

"M'am, if you could please step out of the car. Sir please take the keys out of the ignition and place them on the ground right here." The officer walked around and lowered his tone. "Are you alright, Ms. Wayne? Are you here against your will?"

"No, we were just studying and lost track of time. Really, I do appreciate the attentiveness but everything is fine."

"I'm still going to have to ticket him for speeding but…"

"I understand." I smiled. "You're just doing your job. I'm sorry, I did tell him to slow down."

"He said he was taking you home?"

"Wayne Manor, just up the road here."

The cop looked around and nodded. "You can get back in the car, Ms. Wayne. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

"It's no trouble at all." I climbed back in the car and the officer went back up to the driver's window, handing Rin the keys.

"I'll let you off with a warning this time; just make sure you get her home safely."

"Always." Rin smiled, turning the ignition. He waited for the cop to get back into his car before pulling away. "Well, you sure worked your magic."

"He probably thought you were my boyfriend, not many people want to cross my Father."

"Hey, whatever doesn't cost me like five hundred bucks." The second we were on the private road he gunned it, sending up a cloud of dirt.

"You're insane!" I yelled in joy as he took a sharp turn too fast and drifted around.

"Aren't we all?" he yelled back, grinning.

We pulled up just outside the gates and he stopped, turning the car off.

"Thank you, I had a lot of fun tonight."

"Don't think it ends here, what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't walk you to the door?"

"Because I snuck out of my third story window."

"You're not the only one good at climbing things." He got out of the car and I was forced to follow him.

"You can't, the security here is super tight. I barely know where everything is."

"Then I'll follow you exactly."

"Please don't."

"Either you lead me across or I try my luck." To prove his point, he vaulted over the gate with a huge smile. I groaned and flipped after him. I led the way back to my window, making sure he was able to climb behind me without setting any alarms off. We made it to my window and I crept in, making sure my door was shut.

"You have to be quiet, Dick's room is down the hall and he is a super light sleeper."

"Nice pad." He gazed around my room, thankfully weapon-free at the moment.

"I guess."

"Nice bed." He eyed my large queen and I shook my head.

"Don't even think about it, completely off-limits."

"Nothing is off limits if you try hard enough." He tackled me onto the bed, pinning me down with his knees. I made a show to struggle but didn't really lay all my power into it.

"Get off, this is absolutely not happening."

"Why not? You can't say it's because you're not attracted to me."

"Because I have another interest. And it's two in the morning and my brother is right down the hall."

"I can keep you quiet." He leaned down and kissed my neck.

"Please, Rin."

"Alright, as the lady commands." He slid off of me and stood next to the bed. "I suppose I should be off. Lots of things to do before tomorrow."

"Alright, do you remember the way down?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He took my hand and pulled me to stand next to him. His cocky demeanor dropped for just a second as he ran his fingers through my hair and smiled. "Goodnight Lissa."

"Goodnight, Rin." I whispered back, and closed my eyes as he leaned in.

"What are you doing?!" Dick was next to us, shoving me onto the bed and Rin away from me.

"Apparently being interrupted." Rin smiled "Hey Richard, nice to see you again. Cool jammies, hope I didn't interrupt your beauty sleep."

"What the hell are you doing in our house?"

"Not knocking up your little sister if that's what you're asking."

Dick lunged out and grabbed for Rin's throat but Rin was out the window and on the ledge as fast as a thought. He faced me and blew me a dramatic kiss before disappearing. Dick looked over the edge to watch him leave.

"Are you stupid? This is a huge breach of safety."

"Please, Bruce is changing the security measures tomorrow, he won't be able to get back in."

"What possessed you to bring him here in the first place?"

"Well actually we went out for quite a while, he insisted on walking me to the door or, uh, window I guess."

"You're insane." Dick said, with none of the playfulness I'd had when I had said it towards Rin.

"Come on, it's no big deal."

"This is a very big deal. A strange guy shows up at school and suddenly he's in our house. Do you know how fishy this is?"

"Dick, I would know if he was being invasive. I had every chance to say no to going out. He was quite the gentleman."

"Oh so sneaking you out in the middle of the night was him being a gentleman?"

"Oh, don't give me that Dad, you sneak out all the time."

"For private missions or something, never just for the hell of it."

"Get your panties out of a twist." I walked over to my privacy screen and slipped on my pajamas again. "Go to bed, school starts in a few hours."

"You're one to talk." He spat, walking out to the hall and slamming the door behind him. I laid down and pulled my phone out, checking my messages before I went to bed. One awaited me from Rin, and even after I closed my eyes to go to sleep, the message played along my ears in his charming voice.

You owe me a kiss.