I4.6

Chapter 25: Snake Charmer

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Adult themes. DO NOT read if you are underage or dislike controversial things.

Author's Note: Thank you for being patient with me as I try to sort out my schedule so that I can, hopefully, write more.

Gentle fingertips ghost over his sensitive wounds and he stifles a wince at even that slight touch. The sound of two people breathing is the only thing that can be heard in the cool room of the medic bay. As one breaths out, the other breathes in. It is rhythmic and comforting for the over stressed leader of the Titans and his empathic bodyguard.

Richard can feel a smile tug on the corner of his lips as he replays the day's events in his head. He couldn't have planned that confrontation any better, even if he had tried. Sure, he reopened his wounds in the process, but at least he has a better idea of where everyone stands in all of this. He is firmly convinced that his Rachel will stay by his side as he works to reorganize his team. He believes that he can convince Cyborg that he is not the enemy, even if the metal man thinks that he is the cause. Beastboy is staunchly oppose to Richard retaining his leadership position until his suspicions are put to rest. Most importantly, however, he was able to glimpse how the resident princess is playing her cards. If nothing else, he is impressed by her more subtle moves. Yes, she is the scorn lover, but she doesn't openly oppose him like Beastboy does. She is also careful to not speak ill of Rachel while in his presence because she knows it will displease him. Instead, she is attempting to use the changeling as a talking piece to voice her concerns and push her agenda. The fool is playing right into her hands.

In moments like this Richard becomes very aware of the fact that he is dealing with royalty and, just like in any palace, those who are in power knows that there are snakes lurking in every corner. He has met more than his fair share while he still lived at Wayne Manor. True to form, these reptilian like humans are gorgeous to look at. They shine with bright colors and are bedazzled with jewels. They sway and dance before you in the most intoxicating of ways, but once you get too close they will whisper poison into your ear. Flick their forked tongues against your tender parts. Strike you where it hurts. Young Richard hadn't known that as a bright eyed 12 year old. He wasn't prepared for it when he entered the world of billionaires. His eyes had become glossed over with sadness and a sense of loss. Seeking warmth in the arms of a man who had rarely experienced it himself since the passing of his own parents. Alfred did what he could for a younger Richard, but even he was aloof in the beginning because he feared overstepping his boundaries, while at the same time trying to do for him what he couldn't do for Bruce. Maybe if there had been consistent attention and affection he wouldn't be this way? Maybe if both men didn't view him as a pet project that could, somehow, fix the wrongs of the pass while trying to pay it forward, then he won't be so desperately seeking that warmth in the woman before him. Her unsuspecting violet eyes are trained on his hurts. Her soft hands shaking a bit out of nervousness because she doesn't want to injure him anymore than he already is as she applies more disinfectant to his angry looking wounds.

What do you want from me, Rachel?

It's a question that he's asked himself countless times since he finally decided to drop the pretense of a purely platonic friendship. All of the snakes in his life have wanted things from him. His body. His money. His title. Bragging rights. The fantasy of all the things that they've projected onto him. Is it any wonder that a young Richard learned to become a snake charmer at such a young age? His tools of choice being his disarming smile with the two deep dimples. He had learned to speak parseltongue with the best of them for his own defense. Older women were the worse. They took one good look at his soft round, boyish face, the sadness in his bluish-gray eyes, the surge of testosterone in his growing body and they knew...they knew. The first time Richard fell for this hollow type of love was in boarding school. His parents had just passed away and Bruce gave him the best pep talk that he could muster before sending him off. Claiming that there was no room on the agenda to raise a child while running a business and fighting crime. Instead of holding that young boy close, his guardians led him into the den of snakes and left him there. At that time, the girls were too young to realize his monetary worth and his real connection with Wayne Enterprise, but the women knew...they knew. They came bearing gifts of warm welcomes and sympathetic ears. Open bosoms and lingering embraces. Sweet words of solace in the dead of night, followed by even sweeter touches. Chest to chest. Skin to skin. Naked truths came to light when he heard them speak the language of their kin. The hisses between their teeth stung his innocence; for although he was no longer innocent, he had still been innocent.

Today, he realized that Starfire also spoke parseltongue. She may be an alien, but it appears as though their upbringing wasn't all that different. She is a young, beautiful woman who descends from royalty. A contender for the throne. She has been in a position of power since birth. Has anyone ever really looked at her with clear care, love and affection in their eyes? Has anyone put her best interest ahead of what they can possible gain from her? Richard wonders to himself about how many times she had been exploited before she learned the ways of the snakes. From what he saw today, it's clear that she has learned to say the right things, at the right time to yield the results that she wants. She is also determined to use Beastboy as her talking piece. He will do her dirty work for her and he will take the brunt on Rachel's rage. While Starfire may not be an empath, she is clearly astute and has learned to charm as well as Richard can. There is more going on behind that bubbly facade than she shows the world. He is starting to believe that even the strange way that she speaks is a cover. She's been on planet Earth too long to not have picked up better English than she's using. She must think that more people will find her endearing because of her speech patterns. Maybe that might have been true in the beginning, but it has lost it's charm over time. Richard has long since developed a taste for the sarcastic, blunt, and sometimes aggressive way that his beloved speaks to him. When Richard and Rachel speak, they talk as equals. They meet each other on similar intellectual footing. He knows that she means what she says and says what she means. There is no need to interpret parseltongue here.

But, what did his Rachel want from him? His companionship? His well being? His safety? There has to be more. Another layer that she's hiding. If she doesn't speak in snake, then what does she speak?

"Your emotions," Rachel says in her deep gravel like voice, "it keeps fluctuating."

She gently presses her open hand against his chest. Mindful of his wounds. She frowns at the hectic heartbeat beneath her palm before slowly withdrawing her hand. Richard's hand swiftly moves to keep her hand firmly pressed against his bare chest. He doesn't want to lose this very real, very physical connection that they have.

"It hurts," he whispers. "It hurts."

He watches as concern spreads across her pretty face and she places her other hand on his shoulder. Her healing energy seeps into him and he can feel the warmth of it. Energy that he no longer thinks of as "evil" because it is not. Energy is neutral; what matters is what you do with it.

"Stop," he quietly says.

"No," is her response.

"Don't waste your energy," Richard retorts before bringing the middle finger of his other hand up to tap his temple. He looks into her eyes as he says "You can't fix this."

Rachel understands the gesture and the meaning behind his words. She knows all too well that no amount of her healing energy will be able to sooth a troubled mind, but she doesn't stop pumping energy into the wounds on his chest and his swollen left eye.

"Maybe I can," she says as she continues to work on his injuries, "Let's talk this out."

Let's talk this out, is what he wanted to say before being swallowed up by the vortex that is Rachel's demonic powers and current rage. The pulling in the pit of his stomach makes him feel as though he wants to throw up, but he swallows deeply and tries to take calming breathes.

Richard finds himself clutching on to Rachel even tighter when the whirl wind of power and nausea stops. He has both of his arms tightly wrapped around her. Pressing her back firmly against his body. There is a frightening flare of pain behind his injured left eye as his mind tries to reorient himself. He quickly closes his eyes and buries his aching head in Rachel's uniquely scented hair when the light of the fading sun shines directly into them. He wasn't ready for that. He wasn't ready for such a quick confrontation. He knows it has to happen because Beastboy has clearly overstepped his boundaries and directly assaulted the leader of the team. What he needed right now, however, was time to think and plan. Rachel, clearly, has other ideas.

As Richard is trying to readjust himself from being forcefully migrated and thinking of his next steps, he didn't realize that there are 3 pairs of eyes trained on the sight before them. 3 pairs of eyes that were startled at the abrupt entrance, but are also keenly aware of the way that Rachel is locked in his embrace. Of the intimate picture they presented when she tries to step away from him, but he wouldn't let her. Richard is trying to whisper something in her ear that most of the team can't hear except for Beastboy.

"Calm down, Rachel," he says, "We can't walk into this angry. That will only make matters worse."

"Ha," she responds, "I'm surprised that you're not more angry about this. The Dick that I know would be fuming at having his privacy invaded like that. I can't tell if you've matured or been replaced by a body snatcher."

She proceeds to turn in his embrace, reaching up, towards his shoulder and firmly pulling his hood up and over his face. It will give him some protection from any prying eyes that might walk by. Then, she turns her full attention towards the rest of the team. Richard is also taking note of who is holding his laptop. Precariously perched on a large rock is Starfire. She is balancing the computer in her lap. Richard can tell from the look on her face that she is trying to appear innocent even though he is sure her fingerprints are all over his keyboard. Beastboy is positioned behind her and leaning over her shoulder to see what the alien princess is doing. Cyborg is standing off to the side with an upset express on his face. Richard can tell that the metal man doesn't approve of what his teammates are doing, but he is not actively trying to stop them either. He wouldn't be surprised if the older man was adamant about not helping them break into the computer. He guesses that Starfire would be the next best candidate. She is able to fly star ships, what's a measly little laptop? Richard sincerely hopes that she hasn't triggered the laptop's self destruct defense. All of his precious, meticulously documented and coded files will go up in smoke.

"Would you care to explain why Dick's laptop is in your hands?" Rachel says with more than a little bite in her tone. Richard is kind of surprised that she's taking the lead in all of this. Maybe there is more going on behind this confrontation than he knows about. He decides to do the smart thing and keep his mouth shut and just listen.

He watches as Starfire's eyes narrow at the accusation in the empath's tone, but she can't refute it either. Instead, she places the blame on the changeling when she says, "Beastboy asked me to unlock it. But I didn't know that it was Robin's!"

A sharp look is shared between the princess and the changeling, but the green man says nothing. Richard wonders what kind of power Starfire might have over him to keep him this muzzled.

Rachel is not buying that explanation one bit. "You really didn't know that it's Dick's? He's been using it for years. It even has the Titian logo on it, Starfire. There's no way you don't know."

"Well excuse me! I don't keep track of everything Dick owns. Unlike you, I don't waltz in and out of his bedroom when I want," Starfire places an emphasis on Richard's name and he winces at the implication. Rachel is the only one one, besides the Bat Family, that calls him by his nickname. He doesn't allow any other member of the team to use it. He knows that that has been a thorn in Starfire's side for the longest time. In her eyes, allowing Rachel to call him by his name and in return, he uses her name is an intimate gesture that goes beyond just the team dynamics. She can't seem to understand why he would be so willing to accept the prickly goth girl into the fold, while keeping her bubbly and fun loving self at bay.

Richard's thoughts are interrupted when he hears Rachel respond with, "I know you wish you could!"

He felt his jaw drop and his one good eye widen. That was not the response he was expecting. He thought that she would just sigh deeply and tell Starfire that their relationship "isn't like that," and that they're "just friends." This is a very bold move that he didn't see coming. The dumbfounded look on the princess' face says that she, also, wasn't expecting this reply. But, before she could retort, Beastboy interrupts.

"Ha," he puffs out with no humor behind it, "so then there is something more going on. Care to share?"

Rachel and the changeling share a long look. Her eyes are pleading as she quietly says "Not here."

"Not here?" he repeats in a mocking tone. "If not here and definitely not there," he says while pointing in the general direction of the Tower, "then where?"

"Beastboy…" she quietly says, but is interrupted again.

"Oh no, no, no Raven! We need to clear the air. We might as well since we're all together," he says, "What exactly is your relationship with Robin?"

Richard looks in Rachel's deep violet eyes. Her brows are furrowed, but her eyes are accepting. If she wants to help him, then she needs to be honest with him.

"Rachel," he calls her name firmly and watches her face and posture snap to attention.

"Yes?" she tentatively responds with her hands still on his chest and shoulder. She is still feeding him her healing energy.

"Do you love me?" he asks. The question catches her off guard and he can feel the energy she is feeding him stutter. She looks away from with a slight blush painting her pretty face.

"Rachel," he says again and waits. He is not willing to repeat the same mistake Beastboy did. He will not press her to the point of running like she did that fateful night at the park before he leaked those pictures.

When she finally gains enough courage to look at him again, he repeats his question, "Do you love me?"

She licks her lips and looks at him with violet eyes that shift with her emotions. Richard doesn't doubt that she loves him, but does she have it in her to say the words out loud. To make it real when it's just the two of them. To openly share it with him. Or will she hiss it between her teeth like all the other snakes have done before her?

"You know, and I'm sure everyone else here knows," Rachel says as she addresses the whole group and not just the changeling, "that Dick is both the leader of my team and a very close friend. It is possible for someone to be both."

"Sometimes," Beastboy says very quietly, "office romances can turn two professionals into lovers."

Rachel snorts in response, "This isn't a K-drama Beastboy. This is real life. There are real life ramifications of dating someone you work with. We don't work in an office, we are crime fighters. When there is a breakdown in our relationships then it can be deadly for other people and ourselves."

Richard has to say that that was very eloquently put. Those were all of the reasons that he gave to Starfire when she was trying to push for a romantic relationship between the two of them.

Right on cue, he heard the princess huff in annoyance. "You know Raven, that sounds like something Robin would say. Always doing what's best for the team. Always being practical. You two really are birds of a feather."

Richard can tell by the tone of her voice that she doesn't approve. When they had been exploring their possible feelings for one another, he had cared more for the team than he did for her and that is why he never pursued anything. However, times and feelings have changed. Now, in this present moment, he cares for Rachel more than he cares about keeping the team together. Besides, He has been wanting to stretch his own wings and branch out from under the shadows of Batman and the Enterprise. With Rachel by his side.

"Then what about me, Rachel?" the changeling asks, "After everything we've done, are we still just 'friends?'"

The implications of that question wasn't lost on any one of the team's members. Richard finds himself looking in Rachel's direction to see her response. It appears as though the two have done much more than just share a kiss or two. Did they enjoy a little foreplay with one another on a rainy day or did they seal the deal and finally fucked in the dead of night? Just the thought of Beastboy's heaving green body on top of Rachel's delicate pale one was enough to make Richard equal parts disgusted and livid.

"Don't do this here, BB," she quietly says again. When placed under this kind of intense pressure, Rachel will do one of two things: run or become as defensive as a bull.

"What are we?" he asks defiantly while staring her down. Richard can see Rachel's demeanor change with the way the question was presented. She was on the defensive. The rest of the team is waiting with baited breath.

"We are," she begins slowly. Properly pronouncing her words so there would be no confusion, "and will always be just friends."

Richard can all but hear the cracking sound of that relationship in the silence that followed. The smile wanting to pull across his face was significantly dampened by the knowledge that she willingly allowed the changeling to put his hands all over her.

Yes, Richard has to come to terms with the fact that his Rachel isn't as innocent as he thought she was or would stay. But, none of that matters now, because at the end of that confrontation she choose him. He has his own history with the serpents that he's laid with and she has hers with a beast.

You and I, Richard thinks to himself, aren't so different after all. Like he said before. It really doesn't matter anymore because no other man is allowed to touch her moving forward. No other man will know what it feels like to have that silky flesh beneath the palms of their hands. Or what her soft moans will sound like in their ear. From now on, he will keep a closer eye on her. Keep better track of who she is spending her time. If he has to lock her in a glass cage, then so be it.

"Do you love me?" Richard asks for a third time. He doesn't like repeating himself this much. This is something they'll have to work on together as she gets comfortable with the new role he has assigned her in his head.

Rachel looks flustered, but instead of answering she just pumps more energy into him. At the rate she's going, she'll need a nap when she's done. He knows that her trying to help him like this is a sign of her love and affection. She wouldn't be doing all of this at her own peril otherwise, but he wanted her to say it. Needed her to take this out of his head and make it real.

Richard decides to take a gamble and wraps his strong arms firmly around her waist to lock her in and pull her forward so that she is standing squarely between his legs. Effectively caging her in with his body. Even with the shift in space, Rachel keeps her hands in place on his bare skin. One on his chest and the other on his shoulder. He dares to rest his forehead against her stomach as he waits for her to verbally answer his question. A strange feeling of deja vu taking him by surprise before he remembers that they've spent quite a bit of time in this position in recent days.

The pair of birds stay like this for what feels like hours before Rachel finally withdraws her healing energy. Richard can feel that the burning ache in his chest was no more and that splitting headache he felt originating from his injured eye was no more. He was thankful for her abilities and her willingness to share them with him. She wasn't stingy with her powers and from what he could tell she wasn't doing this because she wanted something from him. Simply because he is someone she cares about and is in need.

Richard asks his question for a fourth time with his face pressed against her and his eyes tightly shut, "Do you love me?"

He is surprised by the tint of desperation in his voice. He hadn't meant to sound that raw or needy, but he had to know. All of the other snakes proclaimed it loud and proud when he asked. They would praise him day and night about how special he is. How handsome he is. Smart, athletic, wealthy, connected etc. They loved his assets and attributes. Would they still have loved him so ardently if he was stripped of those things? Would he still be worthy in their eyes? Those snakes had coiled around him like a heavy rope. Lulled him into a false sense of security as they poured poison in his ear. He saw some of their tricks today mirrored in the team's beloved princess.

"Robin," Starfire's high pitch voice interrupts the heavy silence left behind by Rachel's declaration. Richard turns his attention towards her as he tries to process this bittersweet victory in the moment. The princess is holding out his laptop like a peace offering. There is no arguing that both she and the changeling over stepped their boundaries today.

"I'm really sorry for trying to break into your laptop, dear Robin," she says "I really didn't know it was yours."

"Don't lie," the changeling hisses from the corner where he is licking his wounds and holding back tears. Richard kind of feels bad for him, but knows that he'll get over it in time, just like he did with Terra. Just like Richard did with his snakes.

He watches as Starfire shoots the changeling a dirty look before turning back to her leader. "I didn't get far. Just passed the first security feature."

"Ha..," Beastboy huffs from his corner, "Hey, Raven! Do you know whose birthday is the pin? It definitely ain't his."

Richard can hear him muttering "just friends my ass" under his breath.

"Anyway," Starfire says, "This is yours. I really didn't know otherwise I would have given it back to you."

"Oh please, Star," the changeling says, "stealing his laptop was your idea. You're the one who convinced me that valuable in…"

The green beast wasn't able to finish his sentence before he was interrupted by Starfire's high pitched screech.

"ENOUGH! I did not suggest stealing anyone's anything," she defends herself as she hands over the device to Richard. "I merely said that Robin probably has taken good notes about everything that's happened since the poisonings began. I know how smart, capable and meticulous our leader can be."

As she is saying this, Richard sees Cyborg make a beeline for Beastboy's side. Both, helping him cover his sensitive ears and stopping him from launching an attack. Emotions are flying high right now and if they are not careful then a fight will break out among them. Right now, they are in an open park where people can pass by at any moment. Honestly, Rachel is right in that this isn't the best place to be having these types of conversations. Besides, he can clearly see through what Starfire is trying to do, which is save her own ass. From what he can gather, it sounds like both the princess and the changeling think that Richard has something to do with recent events and they are not wrong because he has been testing an experimental drug on them this whole time. What is wrong is violating their leader's privacy for all the wrong reasons. As much as they want to claim that they were looking for notes, they were really looking for clues about how deep Rachel and his relationship goes. None of this was really an issue until he leaked those pictures to the tabloids. Now all the snakes are rearing their heads and showing their cards.

"None of that matters now," Richard finally says. Throughout all of this commotion he chose to hang back and just observe. "While I agree that my note taking skills are impressive, you could have just asked for a copy. I would have given it to you."

Richard proceeds to set the laptop down on the rock that Starfire had been sitting on. He quickly unlocks his laptop and pulls up the file where he recorded the effects that I4.6 had on his team members. In a flourish he presents the device to the group.

"We are in this together," he begins the classic speech of a leader, "my resources are your resources. You all know as much about this poison as I do. We don't know who is doing this to us, what they objectives are or how they are doing. Essentially, we are flying blind. And while I know that that's not a good feeling because it makes us feel insecure and unsafe, we can't turn on each other. That's what whoever is doing this wants. They want us to crack. To distrust. To point fingers. The minute we do that, is the minute we lose. We are not losers, we are Titans. We have been through worse and came out of it stronger. This time should be no different unless we make it different."

"I agree with you, Dick," Rachel says. Coming to stand beside him. She is resolute in her belief that they will survive this while Dick knew damn well they won't. This time, the tone was different. People's personal objectives are mixing with their hero's responsibilities. This will not end well for them, but the show must go on.

There was a low mutter of "of course you do" off to his left. Cyborg is still standing besides Beastboy with his hand on his shoulder. Partly for support and partly to make sure he doesn't attack anyone. He's already assaulted Richard twice: when he was under the influence of the drug and earlier today. Richard idly thinks about the agreement that he has made with another Titan team, but decides that he will address that issue in the morning. Right now, they need to get over this challenge.

"And," Richard continues, "in the effort of full transparency, I give you access to my notes."

He knows that this is a gamble. He's banking on his teammates not being in the emotionally correct state to pour over bullet points and data. Even if they were to ask for it later, it would give him some time to edit out the things he doesn't want them to know before sharing. Just as he predicted, Beastboy threw up his hands and said "fuck this shit" before storming off. Besides him, Rachel took a quick step forward, but decides not to pursue the changeling. His feelings were still too raw for them to have a meaningful conversation...not that Richard would let them have that.

Starfire glances away with a bit of shame and embarrassment in her eyes. She wasn't the least bit interested in the data. She was after something else. Cyborg, however, was interested in what Richard was able to put together.

"Yo, Robin. When you get a chance...could you send me a copy of that?" he asks quietly. After this whole fiasco and considering how easily Richard is sharing information, the metal man didn't feel brave enough to demand it straight off his laptop in this moment. Good.

"Of course, Cy. But I do need to talk to you. It's urgent," he says as good naturedly as he can muster.

"About BB?" he asks in a sad tone.

"Yea…" Richard responds in an equally sad tone. In order to get Cyborg to work with him on his plan for Beastboy, he's going to need to match the metal man's tone.

"What are you going to do with Beastboy?" Starfire quietly asks. Richard can see the gears turning in her head as she recalculates and reassesses where her playing pawn is going to be moved on the board.

The snakes are everywhere.

But not here with them in this moment. Right here and right now, there is just Rachel and Richard. Seeking for and finding comfort in each other. He is completely healed thanks to her giving nature, but his head still rests heavily against her stomach with his arms wrapped securely around her waist. Her hands were gently running through his hair in a soothing fashion.

Eventually, there was a very quiet and tired sounding "yes."

Richard feels his ears twitch at that admission. He lifts his head high enough to look at her face. Her eyes are tired and drooping; as though she's going to fall asleep any minute. Her arms are moving more sluggishly as she braces the majority of her weight on him. A lot has happened today and she did invest quite a bit of energy into healing him. Even so, he quietly whispers "What?"

"Yes," she says, equally as quietly. In his excitement, Richard stands to his full height and allows Rachel to brace more of her body weight against his sturdy frame. His arms are wrapped around her upper body now and he takes the time to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear before ghosting his lips over the outer shell.

"Say it again," he demands as he guides her arms around his shoulders so that they can wrap around his neck. He feels her nod slightly against his chest.

"Yes."

The smile that splits Richard's lips is part elation and part deranged. Like a madman who has found the thing that is most precious to him. That look is plastered on his face as his hands slowly follow the curves of her body: across her slender shoulders, down the width of her upper back, dipping into the curve of her lower back, before pausing to give the fullness of her bum an appreciative squeeze. He grabs the underside of both her thighs so that he can pull her legs up and force both of them to wrap around his strong waist or else she'll fall. There is an adorable squeak of surprise at the sudden shift. Richard places one hand beneath her plump ass to support her weight as his other hand guides her tired head back on his waiting shoulder. He knows that she wants to doze off, but before he can let her do that, he has to ask one more time.

"Rachel, do you love me?"

"Yes," she says followed by the shallow sounds of her breathing. Richard stands there for a few minutes to just appreciate her scent, her feel, her weight, her admission of truth.

Sooo...Richard needs a therapist, Rachel needs to realize friends don't act like "this," and I need a drink. Feel free to leave a review/comment. Until next time, my friends!