#˗ˏˋ ⋆ koriand’r / Ⅰ . no one’s slave

[cybervigilante]

it's almost paradoxical how much warmer the molten skin of her hand feels within his grasp, as if she weren't already incandescent from harnessing energy from the very sun. the press of his lips across her knuckles leave sparks in their wake like starbursts setting ablaze the expanse of her golden skin. the touch is a welcome comfort for someone as tactile as she; a gracious deliverance from the ache of their temporary rupture. dick has always felt as much an extension of herself as any natural limb; his hand in hers felt restorative, regenerative, where his absence had left in it's place a void not even the depths of her sadness to be without him could fill.

but who could dare think of sadness now ? it seemed a moot point to wallow on when the vestiges of it's shipwreck were sinking in the sea of her immense love for the man before her. to hear him echo her previous statement back to her transforms her heart into a hummingbird caught in mid-flight within the gilded cage of her ribs, edging her towards him insistently with every erratic beat. she leans towards him all the more, relishing in the proximity with the brightest of smiles until his mention of donna's earlier good-hearted worries comes around again to cause a dip of the corners of her full lips. “    i am most happy with you. “ she reasserts, honeyed voice pleading both to be believed and soothe whatever apprehension he may have over the state of them. ( fractured as the others may perceive their relationship to be )

his following words, however, bring the potency of her radiant grin to a full beam once more. he treads into the proposition as cautious and measured as she had come to expect from her beloved, yet there's a slight timidity interwoven with his offer which she finds so endearing. “ if there were mistakes, they were not all of your own making. perhaps, i pushed you too hard to express yourself as freely as i have been taught to since birth without consideration for your own circumstances that might make it difficult for you. in any case, dick, i believe we can rebuild. by x'hal, i love you enough to try and fail and begin yet again a million times more ! “

IT'S BOTH A BLESSING & A CURSE. the bond of the titans. blessed in the way dick never has to look before he jumps. comfortable in the knowledge someone will catch him. comfortable in the way he can confide in his friends and they can do the same with him. that they care, love, and TRUST each other above all else. A CURSE in the way nothing is private. and dick gets it. maybe more than most, what with roy & donna and garth & lilith, and all the other pairs the titans have inter-mingled with, but sometimes, SOMETIMES he'd like the decision to just be their own. that donna's words of caution, wally's raised eyebrows, raven's knowing glances were kept to themselves, especially in the early stages. dick GETS the fallout was bad, but he and kory were more than adept at making rational, informed decisions. and dick's feelings were resolute. he smiles softly, his heart doing a quick one-two-three skip he's not sure will ever slow at kory's declaration. the longing felt TANGIBLE, almost. like dick could reach out and touch his sorrows until they inevitably traced back to kory, and the ultimately useless distance between them. dick reaches out to grab one of her hands between two of his, the static electricity at a simple touch giving him all the belief he needs. he loves & values donna troy, and all of their friends until the end of time but he'd be lying if he said it didn't give him some pause. the first place dick wanted kory to be was wherever she could be HAPPIEST. always, always happy, healthy, SAFE. the second place was with him. he pressed a gentle kiss to their clasped hands, her words warming him like alfred had just brewed a fresh pot of herbal tea. she knows, HAS TO KNOW, he feels the same. " i've missed you every day since. " and not only was that TRUE, but a gross understatement. kory was his best friend in many regards, the person he told so much he never had to anyone else, and those lost months had been HARD for more than just a break up. but donna brought up some good points, what they had had BROKEN and now it was time to rebuild on solid ground. " i agree with her on the sentiment though, kory i'll always want you to be HAPPY. " and that's where the titans do come in handy. ever since they were sidekicks in booties, the titans were always about GROWTH. maybe their love could learn. could grow like ivy on the foundation they'd long since built. " i know . . . i know i made mistakes last time, and i'd like for this to be different. " he gestures with their joined hands, eyes tracing the beautiful lines of kory's face. " i love you, and i want this to work. for both of us. "