Warning: I am trying very hard to keep this PG-17. But c'mon, this IS a romance, after all . . .
You are going to have to forgive me some time, you know," Dick said as he followed her into her apartment carrying several bags of groceries. "We're in this together apparently for the long haul."
Elle glanced back at him over her shoulder. She was feeling normal again, and grimaced internally from the knowledge that it was only so because Dick had been coming to see her regularly every day. He spent hours with her here at her apartment; eating, watching movies, playing games, sleeping on her couch. They hadn't talked since the discussion at the hospital where the true horror of the bonding and the hidden talents of being a Siren had come to the surface. Elle was still dealing with the emotional fallout from that, as well as the fact that Dick had thought so little of her that he had believed that she had sought to control him with her 'magical' voice.
Well, mostly she hadn't talked, but Dick more than made up for it. Although almost as often, they sat together in the room in silence . . . A strangely comfortable silence. He still went home at night, but would often show up the next morning looking tired rather than well-rested, and then they would have breakfast together like some old couple. He would crash for a couple of hours on her couch and then head off to work. She was getting a little suspicious that he was working the nightshift and not telling her, although why he didn't want her to know, she couldn't imagine. But whatever he was doing was running him ragged.
If she wanted to avoid him, she would need to have her locks changed. Her father had handed him a key to her apartment before he had left the hospital to fly back to Chicago. The sneaky bastard had had the key made probably within an hour of her moving in, and now he hands it to Dick without even a by-your-leave. And although Elle had informed the security guard that Dick wasn't welcome, he always managed to get past the guard anyway. She suspected he bribed the guards in some way . . . Maybe losing a parking ticket for them or something.
Elle frowned, feeling guilty for that bit of slander. For all his faults, Dick was an honest and upstanding cop in a town that had been suffering from good and honest anemia.
"What did I do now," Dick asked her; totally mistaking the reason behind her frown. He sat the bags on the table and slid his arms around her waist.
Despite his presumptive action, Elle reveled in to the feel of him. Her nose twitched as she breathed deeply the scent of him. He always smelled so good, and this time wasn't any different. It made her stomach flip and do some crazy, fluttery jig. She caught herself leaning back into him, and pulled abruptly away.
Dick sighed, and after a minute, started pulling items from the bag and putting them away. When his back was to her, Elle smirked. Dick had gotten much neater since the first time she had gone to his apartment after their first date and had cleaned up after him. He was carefully adjusting the cans in the cupboard so that all of the like foodstuffs were stacked together with their labels facing out for easy access.
"I'll forgive you," Elle finally deigned to speak after four days of the silent treatment. "Eventually."
Dick stiffened, and then the tension eased from his shoulders at her words; tension she hadn't even realized he was feeling. Learning about her voice made Elle wonder if he relaxed because she had told him that she would forgive him or simply a reaction to hearing her "voice" for the first time in days. She hated always questioning everything; wondering if he was acting normally or if she were somehow forcing him to do something or act a certain way because of something she said. She still really didn't understand what it was exactly she could do with her voice despite what bits that Arthur Curry had told her. That was the main reason behind her silence; not so much anger as she knew he believed. She had gotten over that for the most part by the next day after Dick had brought her home from the hospital.
After putting away the last of the groceries, Dick stepped in front of her; his hands sliding around her waist. He grinned down at her.
"You aren't forgiven yet," she muttered, pulling back.
His hands tightened just a bit. "Huh-uh," he told her. "You aren't going anywhere just yet. I want to see your stitches."
"Good luck with that," she smirked. "I removed them yesterday after you went home."
He frowned. "You were supposed to leave them in for two weeks!"
"Right, and have them grow into my skin. I heal fast," she said, trying not to purr at the feel of his hands on her. "Faster, apparently, since getting your magic blood."
"My blood isn't magic. It's all some kind of metaphysical mumbo-jumbo linked with the bonding," he told her, and then wished he had just kept his mouth shut. She had stiffened up. "Regardless, I want to see it."
Sighing, she stepped back and lifted the edge of her shirt up a few inches. Dick kneeled down in front of her and turned down the edge of her pants to expose the wound . . . But there wasn't a wound there. It was almost entirely gone!
Only a faint pink line remained. He gaped and traced a finger over the disappearing scar. Elle shivered. When Dick glanced up at her face, she shrugged; pretending nonchalance.
"What? I'm cold!" She glared down at him.
But Dick grinned knowingly. Before she realized what he was going to do, he darted in to trace the pink line again only this time with his tongue. She shivered again even more violently.
"Ack, stop that," she shrieked; lightly whacking him on the shoulder.
He laughed and gripped her hips firmly so that he could plant a kiss on the spot next. Elle grabbed two fistfuls of black hair and raised him up.
"All right, all right," he laughed. "I won't kiss your scar anymore." His arms slipped around her waist and he pulled her flush against his body. "I'd rather settle for your lips anyway," he whispered as he lowered his head.
Elle gave a token shove at his immovable chest and turned her head. His kiss landed on her ear. Dick didn't seem to mind as he began nibbling on her lobe, and then that particularly sensitive section of skin on her neck directly behind it. In a moment of weakness, Elle allowed her head to tilt; giving him easier access. Pleasure hummed throughout her body as if all of her nerves were attached to that one spot by an electrical charge.
"Hmm . . . Stop it," she moaned, and cringed internally when it came out sounding more like 'take me' by her tone.
But Dick listened to her words rather than her tone, and pulled back. He smiled down at her heavy-lidded expression and pleasurably-dilated eyes. She almost groaned. If he had ignored her . . . She stopped, and this time she sighed. If he had ignored her, then he would have been a jerk, and Dick was a lot of things, but not a jerk. She detached herself from his arms reluctantly.
"How long would you estimate I'll have to wait for that forgiveness," he asked.
Elle turned her back to him quickly; the better to avoid looking at the adorable, kicked-puppy look he was so talented at. She gave up. Elle had never been good at grudges anyway. This was the longest she had ever managed to date.
"You're forgiven," she muttered, and then shrieked when Dick suddenly picked her up and spun her around. He whooped, and she laughed; wondering how she had ever managed to stay mad at him at all.
"We have to celebrate," he proclaimed.
"Do we? What do you suggest," she asked, intrigued.
"I know just the thing . . ." his voice trailed off as he carried her into her bedroom.
Elle glanced around the deserted gymnasium as Dick flipped on lights. This wasn't exactly what she had had in mind when she had asked for his suggestion only an hour ago. To say she had been surprised when he set her down beside her bed and started rummaging through her drawers only to toss some workout clothes at her head would have been an understatement.
"What are we doing here?" Despite speaking softly, Elle's voice echoed around the room. Huh! Nice acoustics . . .
"We're going to celebrate," Dick repeated. "Your forgiveness and your survival."
Elle blinked and turned her head to stare at him. "What do you mean by that?"
He took her by the hand and led her over to a large matted area with floor-to-ceiling mirrors. "You've just earned several free lessons in self-defense."
"You're joking, right?" She smiled hesitantly.
Dick looked her right in the eye, dead serious. "Not even close."
Elle slapped the mat again with a loud whump; whatever shred of air in her lungs not forced out by her landing immediately fled with a wheeze when Dick landed on top of her back.
"Oof," she grunted. It took her a minute to be able to speak and when she did, it was barely audible even with the grand acoustics available. "Get off!"
Dick had already been pushing off of her when she grumbled beneath him. He waited until she rolled over, and by her expression, he had a feeling that he would be begging for forgiveness again over the next several days. He held out his hand and was pleased when she took it, however grudgingly it was. Of course, it could just mean that she was merely too exhausted to crawl to her feet by herself.
"Are you all right?"
The look she sent him would have melted Mr. Freeze on the spot. Yup, nothing but a puddle . . .
"I have a question," she asked, panting.
"Of course!" He wanted her asking questions. The better her understanding, the better she would do, and the safer she would ultimately be.
"Apparently, I misheard you earlier," she began.
Dick frowned. "How is that?"
"I had thought you said that this was supposed to be a celebration of my survival, but I see now that what you meant to say was that this was supposed to finish off what the mugger had started. Ugh!" Elle yanked out her ponytail holder and began reapplying it after smoothing up all the damp strands that had fallen out during her multiple humiliations all in the name of teaching her self-defense. "So, I guess my question is this; are you trying to kill me?"
Dick grinned and risked pulling her close despite the fact that she was not appreciating his cheerful demeanor. "Ah, my poor baby," he crooned, nuzzling her sweaty brow.
"Ew," Elle shoved him away. "Dick, I'm so gross!"
"I think you're beautiful."
"Gah! This bonding thing is obviously affecting your eyesight," She grumbled, wiping off her forehead with a towel. "Okay, so tell me again what beating the crap out of me is supposed to accomplish? I mean, besides getting out your frustrations."
Dick choked on the water he was drinking. "Hey! That's not what this is about!"
Elle picked up her own water bottle, raising an eyebrow at him as she opened it. "Go on," she challenged. "You have my attention now."
"As opposed to not having it previously," Dick deadpanned. "Look, Elle, I would prefer it if during the next mugging or robbery you happen upon you turn around and run in the opposite direction, but if you choose not to do that, then you need to learn how better to defend yourself."
Elle glared at him. "I didn't just jump into that situation, you know. I stayed back and hidden until it began apparent that the guy was going to shoot that old couple." She huffed. "Are you telling me that you would really rather me just stand there and watch it happen and do nothing about it?"
"Of course not! You dial 911, and wait for the police." Dick yelled at her. "My God, Elle! You almost died!"
"Jasmine had already dialed 911," Elle argued back. "But they would never have made it in time. You're a cop! Don't tell me that you wouldn't try to intervene on their behalf!"
"That's right, Elle; I'm a cop! I'm trained for this! I don't just leap into a situation that I'm incapable of handling," Dick exclaimed. "That is why we are here, by the way. I can see that you are too softhearted to stay back where you'd be safe, so I am attempting to teach you a few basic self-defense moves that might help prevent you from getting shot or stabbed in the future."
"Is that what this is? I still waiting for the part where you show me how to kick your ass instead of you continuing to throw me down on mine."
"You have to put some effort into it as well," he said. "I'm not trying to be mean, Elle. If you are attacked, the perp won't go easy on you or stop when you get tired or hurt. He wants to hurt you! You need to be able to keep fighting even when you are in pain; even when you think you cannot go on any longer. However, I'm hoping that I can show you some moves that will enable you to get away from him before it reaches that point. You don't need to defeat the guy, you know; just escape him so you can get away or at least get to help."
"Fine, fine, whatever." Elle sighed. "I see your point. And it would have been nice to have been able to save that couple without getting stabbed, although the knife wound in my side was a total accident." At Dick's confusion, she clarified; smirking. "He kind of fell on me after I kicked his genitals into his chest cavity."
Dick burst out laughing, causing Elle to smile. "Oh my God! What I wouldn't have given to have seen that."
"If you'd have been there, you still wouldn't have seen it because I would have let my hero step in to save the day while I remained safely behind corner of the building," Elle remarked casually as she set down her bottle and towel.
The sudden silence had her turning her head and finding Dick looking stricken. "What? What's wrong?"
He crossed the mat and yanked her into a hard hug; clinging to her. "I'm so sorry, baby," he told her in a pained voice. "I should have been there for you. It's my fault you were hurt! My fault and my stupidity . . ."
She tightened her hold on him. "No, Dick! No, it wasn't your fault. It was all mine. I made the decision to walk home instead of taking a cab; my decision to intervene in the mugging; it was my own damned fault. But despite everything that happened, I don't regret it. If I had stayed safe and that couple had died for it; that I would have regretted for the rest of my life."
Dick held her close, rubbing his cheek on the top of her head. "My hero," he whispered.
Warmth flooded Elle's insides at his whispered praise. She looked up at him and saw nothing but sincerity in his gaze. She raised up on her toes and kissed him.
It was several minutes, or maybe it was several hours, later when he raised his head to look down into her passion-glazed eyes. They were both out of breath now. His pressed his lips to her forehead, and she hummed in pleasure.
"So," he whispered seductively. "Are you ready to try again?"
It took nearly ten seconds before she realized what he had just said. This time when their eyes met, hers were narrowed.
"Slave driver," she muttered under her breath, but not so low that he didn't hear her; just as she wanted. "Come on then," Elle said in a normal tone of voice. "It's time I put you in your place, tough guy."
"That's the spirit," Dick grinned at her.
Twenty minutes later, Dick hit the mat so hard that he grunted from the impact. He looked up at his stunned girlfriend. Elle stood over him in shock. Slowly her mouth morphed from a surprised 'oh' into a bright, wide grin. Suddenly she leapt into the air, punching it with her fist, and whooping in absolute delight.
Elle began her victory dance around his supine form; punctuating every few moves with crows of "YES!" and "WOO-HOO!" and "Who's the woman?!". Dick smiled at her antics; pleased with her first successful throw. She had been learning how to get out of various holds and doing very well, but it took her flipping him onto the floor to get this sort a reaction from her.
On her third time around, Dick grabbed her ankles and jerked her legs out from under her. He pulled her across his body to cushion her impact, and then rolled her over onto her back; settling himself comfortably between her legs. She glared up at him as he held her arms against the mat above her head.
"Hey," she complained. "What was that for?"
"Sorry," he told her; looking anything but even remotely apologetic. "I was feeling excluded from the celebration."
She twisted and shifted under him, and his eyes widened as he abruptly became a little too comfortable in his position. Elle stared up at him as she recognized the not so subtle changes her movements had caused. Neither said anything; just stared into each other's eyes, waiting for the other to either move or say something to diffuse the suddenly intense mood. When it didn't happen, Dick's cerulean blue eyes flicked down to her lips. Elle licked her lips nervously.
They had kissed many times before. Each time it had sent tiny sparks of electricity zinging through their veins; awakening previously unknown patterns of nerves. Time would fade away and passion became the very air they breathed. But Dick had always been careful before. Keeping those moments reigned in by time or place or by keeping his body carefully in line.
Tonight, they were alone in a place where their privacy was guaranteed for hours yet, and his body had already slipped from whatever careful control he had attempted to place on it. It was also becoming obvious to him that he was alone in his concern as Elle slid hands into his hair and tugged his face down to hers. Her bare feet slid up his calves, and one leg wrapped around his waist.
Oh hell, I'm in real trouble now.
His eyes slid closed as their mouths touched and her bold tongue darted out to trace the seam of his lips. As their lips parted, he sank deeper into her sweet embrace.
Oh God, someone had turned up the voltage!
It was his last coherent thought for a long while as he gave himself over to the heaven beneath him.
Okay, somebody's GOT to have some opinions on this one.
I realize that this isn't silk sheets, rose petals, and candlelight, but Dick and Elle apparently weren't picky when the mood finally struck, and they were tired of waiting for me. And you have to admit . . . They aren't exactly a normal couple, so why should this experience be considered "normal" either? Answer: It shouldn't!