Title: A Darker Shade of Love
Author: Jordan Herbert
Rating: M throughout the entire fic.
Genre: Angst/Slash/Drama
Pairing: Sladin with RobinRed X
Chapter Summary: Just when things were starting to look good too.
Author's Note: Yay, an update, and under a month's time too! Well, folks, I have to say we're entering the end soon. We have either one, maybe two chapters after this one. But don't think about that right now. Just focus on this new chapter. Enjoy!~ ...Oh, but it's kind of dark...
Meeting Difficulties
"Pucker up," Red X wrapped his arms around Robin's small waist and pulled the boy closer. He was grinning madly with the familiar look in his eye that Robin had come to learn meant that he was extremely frisky.
"Red, stop; you know I hate it when you get like this." Robin smirked as he pushed lightly at Red's shoulders.
"No, you hate it when I'm like this and you're still in your pants." Red lifted his brow seductively and growled as he lunged for Robin's sensitive neck. He began to cover the boy with kisses and Robin squirmed delightfully in his arms.
"Red," Robin laughed as Red licked his jaw. "We haven't even made it to my room yet." Robin tried to move farther into his bedroom but Red held him still, making them stay in the doorway.
"I don't care. Anywhere works for me as long as it's with you." He gently bit Robin's ear lobe and the boy moaned.
"Alright then," Robin's eyes fluttered behind his mask. "But let me close the door." He struggled out of Red's hold for a moment to close his bedroom door. It didn't matter if the other Titans didn't mind that Red was over at the Tower constantly now. The Titans had made one rule about Red and Robin was going to follow it no matter what; no sex outside of a locked room.
He flicked on the lock and turned around. "Okay, Red, now we can—"
Then he was pounced.
"Remember our deal?" Red asked as he tossed the bag full of cash between his hands.
"Which deal was that? We have made quite a few." Robin reminded even as a few memories of past deals floated through his own mind, making him smile softly.
"I meant the one way, way back when we just started dating. Once we were serious enough, which we are now, we could play that when I got away with the stolen goods, I got sexual priorities for the night." The grin underneath Red's mask was predatory.
Robin smirked. "And you're just remembering this deal tonight? You couldn't have remembered it back on Monday when I caught you?"
"You know how unreliable my memory is." Red shrugged and Robin rolled his eyes.
"I suppose I could agree to that. But we start next time, tonight doesn't count." Robin decided and turned around.
"Aw, Robin, come on." Red protested.
Robin shook his head no. "Now let's head to the docks, I have some extra energy I want to spend."
"Don't you think we should head to the apartment then and spend your energy there?" Red asked as he wrapped his arms around Robin's waist and nuzzled his neck. Robin relaxed into the embrace and chuckled.
"We'll just have to see how much energy I have left after the docks." Robin commented as he pulled out of Red's hug but grabbed his hand.
"Well if that's the case then I'm just going to immobilize you." Red grinned cheekily behind his mask. Robin continued to tug Red towards the docks. Both of them were happy with the way their relationship has grown and they hoped it wouldn't change anytime soon. Unfortunately, their hope wasn't enough.
Robin squirmed, a smile on his face, as Red X grabbed his ticklish sides and gave a soft squeeze. "Looks like I won again tonight." Red X grinned behind his mask and Robin couldn't help himself as he grinned as well. He was in a rare playful sort of mood and it was apparently contagious since Red was mirroring his mood. But then again, Red always seemed to be playful.
"You win practically every night," Robin glared at the masked face resting on his shoulder. His glare held no heat due to the good mood he was in. "You and your stupid belt," he mumbled as he turned around in Red's hold.
"I like my belt better than the one you originally had with the suit. You know why?" Robin shook his head as he wrapped his arms around Red X's neck. "Because it's practically the only item I didn't steal."
"But don't you miss the invisibility shield?" Robin asked with a smirk spreading over his face. "I noticed you didn't have that in your new one. I guess whoever you 'acquired' that belt from didn't have the technology for it available to them."
"Of course I miss it. If I had that little feature then I'd be able to stand behind you all the time and do this." Red X pulled his mask halfway up and started to kiss the exposed area on Robin's neck.
Robin chuckled and pushed lightly at Red's shoulders. "Come on, Red, we'll do this at your place. We're on the middle of a rooftop for Pete's sake."
"Who's Pete? Is there someone you should be telling me about? Hey, is Pete interested in a threesome?" Red X smirked as he wrapped an arm behind the Boy Wonder and squeezed his tight ass.
"X, control yourself!" Robin blushed with a wide grin on his face despite his indignant tone. Red knew to ignore Robin's tone of voice.
"Hey, I won. And we both agreed that whoever won got their choice for the night activity. What would you do if I chose to hang onto your ass all night?" Red X mumbled into Robin's neck and the other teenager sighed.
"I'd probably just remind you to put a quarter into the swear jar." Robin smirked, happy at himself for thinking of that rule. Honestly, he didn't find swearing to be attractive and wanted to break Red's habit of using such foul language. He had set up a jar at Red's apartment, labeled it the 'Swear Jar' in big blocky letters, and told Red that every time one of them swore a quarter was to be added to the jar. The contents of the jar would be given to a charity once it was filled.
"Ah, fuck!" Red X swore again as he forgot about the little swearing system that Robin had set up.
"And now I'd have to remind you to put two quarters into the jar." Robin chuckled; it was never just one quarter with Red X. "But you're right, you did win. So, let's go back to your place and resume this." Robin looked around and shivered. "I swear I feel like someone's watching us."
"Kinky, should we ask him if he wants to join? Hey, do you think it's Pete?" Red grinned as he pulled away from his boyfriend's neck. Robin sighed as he smiled and shook his head.
"You're hopeless sometimes, I swear." He pulled out of the thief's hands and walked away from him. "So, are we going back to your place or do you want to go to the beach again or what?" Robin asked as he turned around and was surprised to not see Red X behind him, staring at his ass. He had swayed his hips knowing that it would catch his attention. "Red?" Robin called as he looked around the rooftop.
He nearly died of a combination of fright and shock as he saw Slade standing a few feet away from him, griping Red X by the neck and holding him a few feet off of the ground. "Hello, Robin, it's been awhile, hasn't it?" Slade greeted coolly, as though he wasn't literally holding someone's life in his hand. "I'm sorry that our little reunion couldn't be quite as private as I had originally planned."
Robin felt his breath hitch in his throat as he watched Red X squirm in Slade's hold. Red's smaller hands fought Slade's large hand, desperately trying to loosen the long fingers from his throat. "Let him go, Slade." Robin demanded as he mustered up as much courage as he had at the moment. He sunk into his 'leader mode' and prepared himself to do whatever it would take to assure Red's safety. His good mood from earlier was gone.
"Tell me, Robin, who is this exactly?" Slade asked as he tightened his grip over Red's throat. The question seemed almost casual, as if Slade was being introduced to someone that he didn't already know about. Robin knew that Slade must have known about Red X, or else he wouldn't be holding him by the neck. Slade normally didn't attack anyone without reason. He wasn't one for unreasonable violence. His violence always had some sort of reason to it.
"His name is Red X." Robin answered as he took a step forward and tried to think of the best approach to the situation. If he flung a bird-a-rang at Slade's arm there was a good chance he could hit a nerve and force Slade's fingers to relax. But there was also a good chance that Slade would snap Red's neck then catch the projectile.
"I thought it would be, after all, that was what you named the costume. But I think you're about to get your costume back, once I dispose of the impersonator inside it." Slade squeezed a bit harder and Robin reached forward as he took another step closer.
"Stop it, Slade, don't hurt him." Slade looked over at Robin and loosened his hold slightly on Red's bruised throat. "What do you want?"
"What do I want?" He repeated as a smile crept over his masked face. "Isn't it obvious? I want my little Robin back." I want to kill my replacement wasn't said but it didn't need to be. Robin could read it in Slade's eye and hear it as the poison bubbling under his words.
"No way," Red grunted and Slade resumed squeezing his neck to cut off his voice.
"Slade, stop it." Robin cried out as he drew even closer to the madman. Slade humed to himself as he squeezed again until Robin finally shouted. "I'll do what you want." He seethed as he muttered, "You know I will."
"That's a good bird." Slade loosened his hold a bit as he smiled behind his mask. "But it seems like your…friend," the word was said with nothing but venom, "doesn't want you and me to have the chance to talk and catch up with each other. Far be it for me to deny what might be his dying wish. So, instead, I'll settle for something else. Come here, Robin."
"Robin, don't. Run, run now and—ack!" Red X gagged as the pressure on his throat was increased once more to silence him.
"I'd be quiet if I was you, little thief. That mouth of yours might get you killed," Slade chuckled darkly as Robin stopped a foot in front of him. "And Robin's mouth might save you."
Robin shuddered and kept his gaze on his shoes. That is, until a seemingly gentle hand traced his jaw line and tilted his head back to meet the penetrating gaze of Slade's lonely eye. Robin frowned and bit his lip—a habit that Slade had always hated—and Slade slid his hand down to Robin's shoulder. Pushing down, Slade coerced Robin to his knees and the Boy Wonder unzipped him with trembling hands.
Red X flailed his legs and squeezed Slade's hand harder as he tried to protest any way he could besides talking; he was a little short on air to be able to talk. But Red X was ignored by both Robin and Slade as Robin hesitantly took Slade into his pouting mouth.
"That's right, Robin, suck me dry in front of your so-called boyfriend." Slade gripped Robin's ebony hair tightly and Robin clenched his eyes shut as he tried to think of a different scenario that wasn't as bad as reality. It wasn't working.
"Bite the bastard." Red X shouted as he squirmed more in Slade's hold. Slade growled and squeezed Red X so hard that even the slightest added pressure would probably break his neck. Red X began to feel extremely light headed and his hands could barely still grip Slade's. Robin looked up at his boyfriend and gasped as Red's left arm slipped off of Slade's arm and hung limply at his side. Releasing his mouthful, Robin started pleading with Slade since he knew that if he got angry it only made Slade angrier.
"Please don't kill him, I'm doing what you want, please, you're a man of your word." Robin looked up at Slade and the man glared as the grip in Robin's hair tightened.
"He's fine, Robin. Finish the job and then you can worry about this thief." Nonetheless, Slade loosened his hold on Red X significantly and allowed the thief a few gasps and pants before he tightened his hold again to the point where Red X had enough air to get by but not enough to talk. He wanted the boy dead. But if Red X died right then it would only be harder to get Robin back to him.
Robin took Slade once more into his mouth and twirled his tongue around the pulsing member as he gagged slightly on the juices already expelling into his hot mouth. Remembering the way Slade liked it and wanting to end this situation as fast as possible, Robin moved his trembling hand up to Slade's balls and began to rub at them as he took more of Slade into his mouth and grazed his teeth lightly other the sensitive anatomy.
"That's the way, Robin, such a good boy." Slade licked his lips and held Robin's head still by his hair. Readying himself for what he knew was about to happen, Robin looked up to Red X once again and even through the mask he could tell that his love's eyes were focused on him and only him as he suffered for him.
Slade began to move his hips and thrust himself into Robin's throat, forcing all of himself into the small mouth until Robin's pink lips touched his hilt. A moan passed through Slade's slits as Robin continued to move his tongue and his gloved fingers against Slade's sensitive areas. And then Slade threw his head back and gripped Robin's spikes forcefully as he spilled his seed into Robin's mouth.
Staying in Robin's mouth until he felt the boy swallow, Slade panted slightly and pulled out of the boy just as Robin went into a choking fit. Slade smirked down at the child on his knees and then threw Red X to the ground as he started to make himself descent once again.
Red X quickly crawled over to Robin's coughing form and placed his hands onto the quivering shoulders as Robin shoved two of his fingers down his throat and forced himself to violently hurl Slade's seed back up. Red X frowned and then glared as he looked up at the towering villain that had taken a few steps away from them.
"You fucking bastard!" Red X lunged at Slade, fully aware that he wasn't as great as a fighter as Slade was but not caring in the least. If he just got one hit on the man then he'd be satisfied. And he wasn't afraid to fight dirty with the man who would deserve any and every cheap shot.
Anticipating the attacks, Slade swiftly moved to the side and grabbed Red X's wrist and collar as he lifted the boy off of the floor once again. This time, he daggled the thief over the edge of the three story building and grinned behind his mask. "Go on; just ask me to let you go. I promise you, I'll do it." He hissed.
"I'm going to tell you to go jump off of a fucking building and never come near Robin ever again." Red X snarled. Slade wasn't in control of his breath this time and he was prepared to make as many snarling remarks about the hated man as he possibly could.
"You're in no position to say anything like that." Slade snarled. "In fact, the only position you are currently in is being at my mercy. I don't know what's stopping me from dropping you and reclaiming my bird." Slade froze as he heard his mask click.
Moving his head slightly, Slade viewed the bo-staff lodged into his mask locks, with a flick of Robin's wrists; his mask would easily be removed. Robin glared at Slade as he gripped his bo-staff even tighter. "I'm stopping you, Slade. Now, let him back on the roof before I expose you as the monster you really are." Robin's voice was nothing but hatred as he continued to glare.
Slade hesitated for a moment before he brought Red X back over onto the roof and dropped him. Landing safely on his feet, Red X quickly ran behind Robin and wrapped his arms over Robin's shoulders to lean his head affectionately against Robin's. Slade's hands shook from rage at his sides as he glared daggers at Red X.
Robin backed away, Red X did so as well, but he kept his bo-staff at the ready to attack again. Slade readjusted his mask and he looked at Red X dead in the eyes. "The next time we meet, Red X, Robin won't be able to save you. And Robin, the next time we meet, be prepared to bury your little friend." With his warning delivered, Slade reached into his belt and pulled out two smoke bombs. Throwing the tiny diversions to the ground, he escaped as the smoke covering did its trick and provided him the fast getaway that he desired for the moment.
When the smoke cleared again, Robin and Red X were still in the same exact position. After a moment, Robin sighed and replaced his bo-staff into his belt. "Red, I'm sorry." Robin started. "This was all my fault—"
"Robin, stop. It wasn't your fault; it was that asshole's fault. Come on, let's go back to my place to talk about this, I think I've had enough fresh air tonight." Red X nuzzled his head tenderly against Robin's head then pulled away as he gripped Robin's hand. "So, how much do I owe the swear jar now?" Red asked, switching to a safer topic for the moment.
"Seven quarters." Robin smirked as he was glad for the distraction.
"Damn it." Red grinned behind his mask. After all, might as well make it an even two dollars.
"Eight." They both leapt from the rooftop toward Red X's apartment.
Robin sat on Red's bed and listened to the sound of coins being added to the swear jar as he waited for Red to return to him. Robin had already stripped himself down to his shirt and pants. Red entered his bedroom with a comfortingly smile and began to undress as well.
"So, that wasn't exactly the night I had planned but I'm up for taking a rain check." Red tried to joke but Robin only continued to stare at his silver bracelet, slowly trailing his finger over it. "Robin," Red frowned and sat down next to him, placing his hand atop of Robin's. Robin looked up at him, tears gathering in the corners of his blue eyes. Instantly, Red pulled him into a hug.
"I…I can't go through that again, Red, I just can't." Robin shook his head and curled tighter into the embrace. "The things he did to me," he sobbed and bit his lip to distract himself. He wasn't going to cry. Too many tears had been wasted on Slade. "I'm not able to take all of that again. And if he put you through that as well," a louder sob broke through his lips. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself. We have to end this, I'm sorry. I can tell the Titans that I'm needed with Batman and stay in Gotham until Slade leaves again. He should leave you alone. I'm sorry, but I've, I've got to go." Red tightened his arms around Robin.
"You, run away? That's not you, Robin." Red denied as he held his lover. "You're not going to leave this city to Slade and we both know it. If you broke up with me, Slade would still go after me just because he wants to see me dead. And he'd follow you to Gotham. If we broke up, we'd just be by ourselves when we have to face him. You know that it won't help if we broke up and you know I won't let that bastard come between us. We're stronger than that, stronger than him." Red assured. "We can beat him if we stay together. I," Red nuzzled his head against Robin's. "I know it sounds cheesy, but our love is stronger than anything."
"You're right," Robin whispered and lifted his head to show a soft smile. "That was really cheesy."
Red smiled. "Hey, I'm trying."
"Yeah, you are. And you're succeeding too." Robin reassured him as he shifted on Red's lap and placed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Because you're right; if we broke up, then Slade would win and I'm not about to give him that satisfaction; I'm finally happy and I'm not going to let him ruin that."
"I love you." Red whispered as he brushed a kiss over Robin's forehead.
"I love you too." Robin tucked his head under Red's chin.
A week passed without another sight or hint of Slade. But Robin didn't dare to dream that the one meeting was just a hoax. He knew that he was simply experiencing the calm before the storm. Slade held true to his determination and Robin knew things had only begun to turn bad.
And then he got a phone call.
Robin had answered right away, thinking that the late night call was from Red. But his happy mood instantly turned sour when he flipped his phone open and stared at the one eye looking back.
"Hello, Robin." Slade purred in greeting.
Robin took a deep breath and slowly let in out, relaxing himself as he prepared to talk to Slade. "I told you long ago to loose this number."
"No pleasantries?" Slade asked, mock-hurt in his voice.
"No," Robin responded simply.
"Fine, then we'll cut to the point of this call. I understand that we took a little break in our relationship after that hardship," Robin narrowed his eyes but didn't attempt to correct Slade. It would be as productive as talking to a wall. "But it's time for you to stop fooling around. You're too good for that lowlife thief, Robin," Slade insisted. "You can have someone better and you deserve someone better."
"Oh yeah, someone like you?" Robin asked, venom laced in his voice. "Hate to break it to you, Slade, but if I broke up with Red X and went back to you, I'd be going down a level. Actually, it would be far more than just one level. It would be more like dropping into the negatives." Slade's eye widened but before he had the chance to reply Robin clamped the phone shut, ending the conversation.
Robin turned his phone off for the rest of the night and ignored every incoming call. He went into the main room and played in a video game tournament with his friends. Robin ended up winning, much to Cyborg's disappointment.
Slade had placed a tracker on Red X during their tryst on the rooftop. He knew where Red lived, who Red really was, and could strike him down at any moment after watching the little thief for a week. He knew the teen's routines and how they intertwined with Robin's. It made him sick to see Robin so at ease with the other. When he had spotted Robin and Red together, both of them out of costume, from afar, he had decided that Red would die.
But he chose not to kill him at any of the opportune moments. At least, not yet. He would kill Red X in time, but only when he was with Robin.
Robin needed to learn who he belonged to. He needed to see Red die in front of him. It was the only way to properly teach him that he was Slade's bird, even if he escaped his cage for a while.