Heroes 3
Bright Lights, Big City

Angyl and Rina

October 2002

Disclaimer: DC owns them both, WB has their hand in the pot too! - we just long for them is all!

Hearing Dick stomp by his office for the third time in five minutes, Clark saved the file he was working on and nudged his wheeled desk chair toward the door, catching his lover the next time he passed by and pulling him into his lap.

"Poor baby, to have to go and take a nasty mid-term tonight, leaving me home allll alooone," he crooned, tickling Dick's ribs and managing to hang onto his squirming boyfriend by sheer strength alone.

"Dammit, Clark!" Dick growled, not at all wanting to be soothed. He had this itch in the back of his neck, the kind he always got when something big was happening in his city, and the last thing the older man wanted was to be sitting in some half-assed exam that he could take in his sleep and still pass when he would be better served patrolling the streets as Nightwing.

"If the professor wasn't such a fucking dickwad, I wouldn't even have to take this fucking test. Christ, Clark, it's a fucking forensic evidence course. I could probably teach the course better than this ass wipe. I could have at fifteen!" Dick growled, royally pissed off.

"Are you saying you want to quit?" Clark asked, loosening his hold on the older man and letting him up. "You don't have to stay in school because I'm here, Dick. I know how it's frustrating you, making you feel like it's a waste of time. I love that you're doing this for me, but that fact's not going to change if you decide college isn't for you."

Dick sighed. "No, I'm not saying I want to quit. I'm saying that Nightwing is dying to get out. Something's going on out there, I can feel it, and I hate needing to be two places at once.

"I dropped out once, Clark, I'm not going to let Bruce, you, or myself down again. I just have this overwhelming urge to show up in costume and wipe that smug, supercilious smile off of that little worm's face. He annoys me. I've got high 90's on all my tests; my papers are impeccable, but he still tries to twist the knife whenever he can. Personally I think it's because he knows I know more than him and he's scared I'm after his job. HA! Like I'd ever want that kind of job, I don't think so!

"And I hate to break it to you, Kansas, but I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for me." And to be able to shove it in Luthor's face when I graduate with perfect marks to his less than stellar record, Dick thought smugly to himself.

"Good." Clark smiled at that before turning serious again. "I'll keep a watch out, Dick. You trained me, I think I can do that much." The last was said dryly, as, although he'd now been patrolling Metropolis' streets for the past two months as Nightwing's shadow, Clark knew Dick still worried every time he went out - and that worried him because it split Dick's concentration.

"Just don't... don't do what I did, okay? I know it's selfish, especially considering what I put you through but please, don't take that chance," the older man begged softly, his hand clenching and unclenching in nervous habit as he spoke.

Clark opened his mouth to agree, but then closed it. If he knew something was going on out in the city, something he could stop or prevent before innocents were hurt, could he sit in the lair and do nothing? Not if he wanted to look himself in the face in the mirror or look his lover in the eye.

"I won't unless it's absolutely necessary." Clark saw Dick tensing to argue, and shook his head firmly. "You can't tell me not to, Dick. It's my destiny; I've known that for a long time. I won't do anything stupid, and I will let you know where I'm going and what I'm doing. If that's not enough, I'm - I'm sorry."

Dick's jaw snapped shut as Clark continued, knowing the younger man was right. After all, who was he to ask such a thing of Clark when he couldn't make those same promises to Clark and he didn't have super powers to save him if need be.

"If you go out beep me, I'll have my pager on vibrate. If you run into trouble have cyber-Al beep me. I mean it, Clark. I don't give a shit if I'm in the middle of the exam, I want to know," the older man continued, staring Clark in the eyes. "You got me?"

Feeling relief rush through him, Clark nodded seriously. "I was planning on it. Just because they can't hurt me, doesn't mean I want to go running around without any backup."

Standing up, he gathered Dick into a hug and rested his head on the older man's shoulder. "I'm not going to do anything stupid, I promise. Besides, I'll probably end up sitting down there, finishing my history paper and falling asleep at the keyboard."

"Mmmm, the thought alone will make me rush through the exam just so I can get my hands on my sexy, sleepy lover," Dick grinned.

"I love you, I trust you, I know you can take care of yourself and I know I damn well trained you good! But you're my lover first, a crime fighter second, and sometimes one side gets overwhelmed by the other. It's not that I don't have faith in you, it's just that I want to protect you no matter how corny that sounds," Dick continued, tilting his head to the side and pressing soft kisses on Clark's neck. "Have I told you how sexy you look in flannel?"

"Only a million times," Clark murmured, relieved and happy to let the disagreement slide away for both their sakes. "I suppose I should be glad you don't want me to sleep in it too."

"Hell no!" Dick exclaimed, affronted. "You sleep naked in our bed, lover boy, that way I can wake you up in the middle of the night with a blow job or anything else I can come up with. Besides, you're better than a hot water bottle. Thank good we had central air for August and September," Dick laughed.

"Tell you what, why don't you come up with some costume ideas for that Halloween party at the Inferno Club. I got VIP tickets for us," Dick leered. "Just make sure yours exposes lots of skin."

"Dick..." Clark groaned, remembering what had happened the last time they had gone to the club. On second thought though... He brightened, and grinned evilly at his lover. "I know, we can go as Batman and Robin; old times for you, right?"

"Batman and Ro..." Dick choked as his eyes bugged. "I uh... burned it, yeah that's it I burned it!" Dick shuddered as visions of red, gold and green seared through his mind's eye along with memories of hot pants and elf boots. He'd been a lot younger and still very 'circusy' back then, thank God he'd gotten a clue and some taste after moving to NYC!

"Clark, I know you can do better than that, or do you want to have me following you around all evening saying things like 'holy colliding codpieces Batman, will you look at the size of his night stick!" Laughing at the look of sheer horror on Clark's face, Dick couldn't help but grin. "Oh please! Can you really see me saying something like that? That would be wrong on so many levels I can't even begin to express my utter horror at the thought!"

Deciding that perhaps distraction was the better part of valor in this situation, Dick ground himself on his lover's lap. "And here I thought you were going to distract me from my exam tonight, not scare me to death!"

"Burned it, eh?" Clark didn't look convinced at all by that, but he was willing to be distracted, and, in turn, distract Dick as well - he'd just ask Alfred or Bruce the next time they spoke because now he really wanted to see Dick in that costume!

"And yeah, I was trying to distract you, you didn't seem too interested before though..." As he spoke, Clark wrapped his hands around Dick's ass, pulling them closer together and arching up into his lover's weight.

"I just worry, babe. I know you're invulnerable but I also know I'd be lost without you," Dick admitted happily. "Love you too much to live without you now.

"But," the older man continued, switching topics, "I'm more than happy to let you distract me. I love it when you distract me," Dick purred. "And I'm always willing to have you distract me, babe, since you do such a damned fine job of it," the older man grinned, licking his lips in anticipation. "So is this where you throw me over the desk and have your wicked way with me or where I slide down to the floor between your knees and give you a blowjob worthy of sending you into orbit?"

"And then fuck me?" Clark asked hopefully, laughing aloud before drawing Dick into a deep kiss. "If you do good on the test, I'll do the same for you when you get home, how's that for incentive?"

"Why Mr. Kent, are you trying to bribe a former public servant and officer of the law?" Dick laughed as he slithered off of Clark's lap and onto his knees between the younger man's wide spread legs. "Are you suggesting that maybe I can be bought for sexual favors? For shame!"

Licking his lips hungrily, Dick's hands flew to the waistband of Clark's jeans and he quickly undid Clark's fly, pulling down his boxers and jeans in a practiced movement. Leaning back on his haunches, Dick took time to admire the picture presented to him.

Clark, lips cherry red and swollen from kissing, his eyes full of lazy arousal, and his tee shirt rucked up to expose a gorgeously ripped abdomen. Clark's cock was full, the foreskin peeled back to expose the leaking glans, and a lovely plum shade that looked good enough to eat. Dick watched as a pearl of pre-cum welled up and slid down the underside to Clark's perfect balls and licked his lips like a thirsty man watching someone chug a bottle of water.

"Damn, you are gorgeous!" Dick breathed as he leaned in to lick the damp trail left by the pre-cum, from the base of Clark's balls to the tip of his cock, savoring his lover's flavor as he did so. "And delicious too!"

"Suggesting nothing, I know you can," Clark gasped, leaning back in the chair, his eyes going half lidded with pleasure. "For me at least; anyone else and you'd take their head off - and not in a good way." He groaned then, arching his back as Dick's tongue trailed along his flesh, moving back up from his balls to the head of his cock, sucking on the tip a bit before drawing off.

"You start calling me the little engine that could and you're gonna be reacquainting yourself with your five fingered friend!" Dick snarled playfully, unsnapping his jeans and reaching in to pull his own cock out, stroking it lazily as he watched his lover with hooded eyes. "And it's nice to know that I'm so cheap," the older man continued, winking, "and let's not forget easy as well!"

Bending at the waist, Dick's lips caressed the head of Clark's erection, his tongue darting out to gather the pre-ejaculate into his mouth every so often and only when he heard the sides of the chair begin to creak under the pressure of Clark's hands did Dick relent and swallow the younger man down inch by inch until his nose was nestled against Clark's curls and his chin was resting on the younger man's balls.

"Fuck. Dick, yeah, just like that," Clark groaned, peeling his hands off the chair to slid his fingers through Dick's dark hair. The other man had started growing it out from the official haircut he'd had to have for the force, and it felt like strands of living silk under Clark's fingers.

He arched his hips upward, only to have Dick move with him, taking every inch of his cock and massaging it with his throat muscles, each contraction a wave of pleasure sweeping over him.

Beginning to hum softly around Clark's erection, Dick brought one hand up to Clark's mouth, seeking entrance. The other hand coaxed the younger man's hips forward on the computer chair, and then guided Clark's legs around his waist. When the younger man's mouth had sufficiently dampened Dick's fingers they were brought down to trail along the crease of Clark's ass and then slowly inserted one into his lover's tight opening even as he continued to swallow Clark's cock with expertise.

Throwing his head back, Clark gave a strangled howl and writhed, torn between bucking up into Dick's mouth and down onto his fingers. "So good, so good, ahh, God, Dick!" he moaned, shuddering when his lover's finger rubbed across his prostate.

"So good, so good, love you, oh shit..." Wailing, Clark came, twisting upward as he sent jets of semen cascading down Dick's throat.

Swallowing hungrily, Dick continued to milk Clark until the younger man was wracked with shudders. Drawing his tongue along his lover's shaft as he slowly pulled back and off, Dick swabbed its tip one last time and then licked his lips with a grin. "Mmm, good to the last drop!"

"Dick..." Clark groaned, sliding off the chair and sending it rolling back into his office. "That was sooooo bad! What's next? You say that Clark bars satisfy you?"

"Well, it is long and firm and sates my hunger," Dick snickered, crawling up Clark's body to laugh down at his disbelieving lover. "What? You're the one who said it!" Capturing Clark's mouth with his own, Dick prevented any possible comeback from the younger man by inserting his tongue in the other man's mouth and scrubbed it against Clark's palate.

Dick's hands busily pushed Clark's jeans lower and finally off even as he shoved his own jeans down far enough to allow for mobility. Spreading his lover's legs wide Dick raised them onto his shoulders and lined up his erection, then scythed inside the younger man with one swift stroke.

"God, yeah!" Clark cried, wrapping his arms around Dick's back and pulling him closer, tightening his ass down around the thick shaft filling him. "So. God, so good." His own orgasm was still thrumming through him, and Clark could feel the tension in his lover's body as they moved, so he arched up harder, wanting to feel Dick's release as well.

Not bothering with any semblance of finesse at this point, Dick hammered into Clark, slapping his hips hard against the younger man, pounding his cock into the tight sheath. Sweat dripped into Dick's eyes causing them to sting and burn, but nothing could stop him from those last few strokes that had him sending thick ropes of cum shooting into his lover's body with an almost feral cry of completion.

Collapsing on top of Clark, his own chest heaving, Dick rested his chin on Clark's breast and looked up at the younger man with a smile. "That was the best form of stress management that I could imagine!"

"And motivational as well, I hope," Clark murmured, giving a groggy smile even as he ran his hands over Dick's sweaty back. "Think you can take that exam now without killing your prof?"

"Too blissed out to kill him," Dick replied with a grin. And too worried about you, but no way I'm gonna say that. Dick wasn't worried about the final, he knew he could ace it in his sleep. Hell, even if he did fail miserably, he'd still pass with a 90 something average, so he really wasn't that worried about it. Dick just hated not being at the ready just in case Clark needed him.

Deciding right then, Dick knew he was going to wear Nightwing's costume under his clothes and take the Nightbird instead of his usual car. This way if anything should happen he wouldn't have to waste time going home in order to get to where Clark was. "And may I say that if that's your technique you'd make a killing as a motivational speaker!"

Clark chuckled. "Bribery and sex as a reward for good behavior? Gee, that'll go over well on the talk show circuit!"

Kissing Dick a final time, Clark gently rolled the older man off of him and got to his feet, pulling Dick up with him. "Now you'd better go get showered and dressed, Fruitcake. I'm heading down to the lair to listen in to the 'waves. I promise I'll page if anything comes up, got it?"

"If you don't, I'm gonna kick your ass, got it?" Dick replied with a slight grin as he stepped out of his jeans completely. "Be careful, Clark," and with that Dick headed up to the third floor to shower and change into Nightwing's bodysuit and then his jeans and one of Clark's flannel shirts. He just wanted a bit of Clark around him tonight, kind of like a hug, helping to keep the fears away. Now he knew how Bruce had felt the first time that Robin had stepped out on his own - terrified.

"Somehow I figured you would," Clark murmured to himself, smiling fondly at the now empty hallway before heading back into his office to turn of his computer. That done, he expanded his hearing to check in on Dick, and headed for the hidden elevator. He'd use the shower in the lair, if he went upstairs with Dick now, neither of them would get anything done.

An hour later, Clark was propped in one of the chairs at the computer, his feet up on the console, listening to the police and 911 broadcasts even as he skimmed his assignment for biology. Jotting down an answer in his notebook, he was only paying half-attention to the radio transmissions when a call caught his attention.

"Officer down in the Galaxy Building! We need immediate response, I think we walked into an Intergang oper..."

The voice broke off mid-word with a chilling finality that didn't bode well for the officer who had been speaking. Knowing that something had gone horribly wrong, Clark was out of his chair and pulling his cowl up over his head even before he'd realized he'd moved.

Dick had taken the 'Bird, so he grabbed the bike, revving the engine and punching in the address even as he shouted over the echoing roar. "Al, page Dick and let him know I'm going out. It's not an emergency and if he walks out of his test I'll kick his ass!" Once he'd gotten acknowledgement from the AI, Clark tore out of the underground area and onto Metropolis' streets, off on what he hoped wasn't a futile trip.

The buzz of the pager in Dick's pocket had the crime fighter dropping his pen where he'd been doodling idly on a scrap of paper while day dreaming about the things he and Clark would do to each other tonight when he got home.

The test was supposedly two hours long but it had taken him thirty minutes. And he was pretty sure he'd get a perfect score. Dick had merely been biding his time waiting for the allotted hour and a half to go by so that he could hand his paper in and head home to his man.

Glancing down at the pager had Dick clenching his jaw and looking at the clock on the wall. Fifteen minutes to go before he could leave and not feel guilty. Damn.

Typing a quick question into the pager, making sure no one was watching as he did so, Dick fired it off to Al and waited impatiently for the answer. Intergang. Great, and Clark said not to worry? A gang of meta-humans running amok in Metropolis and his lover was on the way to stop them. Gee, why should he worry? FUCK!

Galaxy Corporation's building was swarming with police, but none of them noticed Clark as he super-speeded it to a fire door and wrenched it open before racing up the stairs toward the roof. According to the reports he'd been following, the gang members were up there as were the downed cops. If he was quick and smart, he could take them out before they hurt anyone else.

Pausing on the landing in front of the door to the roof, Clark listened to the action outside, trying to gauge how many perps there were out there and just where they were.

Perps. He had to chuckle at that. Dick's training must be taking hold more than he'd thought. Okay, focus, Clark. Two to the right of the door and three farther out with the downed cops on the ground between them. Using his x-ray vision, he confirmed the positions and formulated a plan.

No other police were up here yet, so he could do this. Deal with the two by the door first, then worry about the others; the guns weren't a problem, and he knew he could handle three regular people with no problem.

Deciding that shock was more effective than surprise at this point, Clark rammed through the steel door, reaching for the two men and slamming them together, knocking them both out. Whirling, he started for the trio, even as they drew their gun and started firing.

Ten minutes. Nine minutes. Eight minutes. Seven minutes. Fuck that! Grabbing his paper Dick marched up to the professor and slammed the paper in front of him.

"You still have five minutes remaining, Mr. Grayson," the teacher smiled nastily.

"Now would be a very bad time to piss me off, Sanderson," Dick snarled as he leaned in closer. "And I suggest that you sit down, shut up and not to try and stop me. That is, unless, you want the board of trustees to know just how you obtained some of your 'research' materials and who provided them. Lexcorp for instance." Dick smiled savagely as the professor paled and spun on his heel, the door to the exam hall banging behind him.

A lock pick and a professor's office later Nightwing was in the Redbird heading towards downtown Metropolis. "Al, give me Clark's position and plot me the fastest route there!"

Between the Kevlar and his own abilities, Clark barely noticed the bullets hitting his chest. Grabbing his nearest assailant, Clark punched him in the gut at half-strength, sending the guy flying toward the roof's ledge. He staggered to his feet, but Clark was too busy dodging the other two gang members to see anything else - until he caught sight of the guy on the ledge, teetering for balance.

Shit! The guy was a crook, but Clark couldn't let him die like this. Shaking off the other two men, he ran toward the roof edge, grabbing hold of the reeling perp and holding him steady. Turning to look for the other two criminals, Clark grunted as he was hit in his mid-section, and knocked from the roof.

Eighty-five stories. Shit. Invulnerable or not, this was going to hurt a hell of a lot when he landed.

The Nightbird screeched to a halt in front of the Galaxy building and Dick was out of the car just in time to hear the crowd's shrieks. Looking up, he could see two bodies fall but didn't need distance lenses to see who one of them was. He already knew. "NO!" CLARK!

A darker shadow was falling alongside Clark, and that's when he realized the crooks' rush had pushed their partner off as well. Fuck! There had to be some way out of this, something to grab or swing to, some way to arrest their fall. A quick glance down told Clark that the ground was coming up much too quickly, and he grabbed for the gang member, hoping that somehow he could shield the other man with his own body when they hit.

In straining to reach the criminal, Clark didn't notice that he was suddenly moving forward instead of down, not until the weight of the perp hit his arm as his motion was stopped. What the fuck? Oh my God, he was floating - consciously this time. Looking up, he thought about moving in that direction and suddenly, he was flying past the dark windows of the skyscraper, carrying the other man with him up to the roof.

The police had arrived and corralled the others by the time he got up there, and he deposited the last crook in a dark corner, kicking a piece of slate nearby to make some noise and alert them to his presence. That done. Clark was over the edge and gliding down to the ground, on an adrenaline high from his newest power. He could fly, that was so fucking cool!

Landing in the shadows near where he'd parked the bike, Clark looked around, cursing under his breath when he spotted Dick there too. Oh, God, what if he'd seen...

"I thought you had a test?" he asked, moving out of the shadows to stand behind his partner, not sure of what reception he'd get.

"I... you... Jesus!" Dick collapsed against the hood of the Nightbird and stared at his lover in shocked disbelief. Clark had just taken a swan dive off of an 85-story building and had suddenly flown back up to the rooftop after nearly slamming into the ground and the son of a bitch had the nerve to ask him about his test?

Dick had felt his heart stop and thought his world was about to come to a crashing halt and Clark was acting like he was the one who was out of line for being there! "Lair. Now!" the older man ordered as he practically tore the door off of the car and gunned it, expecting Clark to follow behind on the bike.

He managed five blocks before he had to pull the car over and puke his guts out.

Dick was shaking, his hands were clammy and his heart was pounding a mile a minute. He had this overwhelming urge to scream, throw a fit, and slam his fist into a wall, anything to release the pressure that was building up inside of him. Dick felt... helpless for the first time since he'd watched his parents plunge to their deaths.

It had been like watching them die all over again except that this time it wasn't his past that was going to die, it was his future. It was Clark. More bile, more shaking and the tears came hot and sour in his eyes. He had to pull himself together, he couldn't freak, couldn't fall apart like he wanted to. He'd promised Clark and he'd be damned if he'd break that promise no matter how much he just wanted to.

Water from his backpack to rinse the acerbic taste from his mouth and deep gulps of air to calm his shattered nerves. No weakness, no fear, nothing but encouragement and love. Clark would need him. It was time for him to find his mate. Dick restarted the Nightbird and headed to the reservoir tunnel that would take him home.

Oh crap, Dick had seen what had happened. Swallowing hard, knowing from his own experience when Dick had been captured by Lady Vic just how his lover was feeling, Clark sobered, the exhilaration of his flight and his first solo mission fading.

Climbing back onto the bike, he kicked the engine to life and peeled out, heading for the lair. After parking and stripping off his cowl, he walked somewhat sheepishly into the main room. "Dick, I'm sorry. I didn't think, it just happened..."

"I know, sweetheart. I understand the rush of your first solo mission. You did good. Real good. I'm proud of you, Clark," Dick replied, smiling at the younger man. "Just do me one little favor and next time you go out on your own, don't get shoved off a roof, okay?"

Stripping out of his own costume, Dick threw it into the changing room and pulled on a pair of sweats. "The exam was a cake walk. I was done in half an hour and had to kill another hour until we were given permission to leave. I may have... encouraged the prof to let me leave a little early.

"So, honey, how was your day?"

Frowning, Clark leaned against the wall, watching Dick warily. The other man's cheerful demeanor was totally at odds with the fury he'd shown before, and Clark was confused.

"Don't do this, Dick. If you're pissed, tell me, don't hide it. If it had been me on the ground and you fell... God."

"But it wasn't me, Clark, it was you, and you're not exactly a run of the mill guy. I have to accept the fact that I'm not going to be able to be there to help you from time to time and I'm going to have to trust you to know your own limits. You know your own body better than me - well, your abilities," Dick smirked. "As much as I hate it, you need to spread your wings and fly, pun intended, and you can't do that with my fears holding you back."

"I don't know everything I can do yet, and maybe it'll be years until I do," Clark sighed. "I just don't want you scared every time we go out." He paused, then had to grin. "I flew, Dick. Did you see it?"

"Yeah, I did, babe. You were great. You made sure they didn't get away, and you saved the guy who fell off the roof, that's what counts, that and the fact that you came home to me in one piece. The rest is just gravy. So... you still want me to stop holding it in and blow up at you, or can we just go to bed so I can hold you and make sure you're really alive and with me?"

Clark's expression was skeptical, but he wasn't going to press for what could very well turn into a fight. "I'm all for bed, but come here for a minute." When Dick complied, Clark wrapped his arms around his lover, kissed him, and carefully pushed off so that they were circling the cave about three feet off the ground.

Closing his eyes, Dick savored the sensation of flight; a feeling he hadn't had since Kori left for the stars. It wasn't real flight, but it was as close as he could get without developing meta abilities of his own. It was like being young again and discovering the trapeze and for those few, brief moments, he was free. "So, does this mean you're over your fear of heights?"

Clark blinked, startled. He hadn't had time to even think of that during his fall, and afterward he'd been too pumped by the experience to even think about his phobia. "I guess I am, but let me give you a final answer when I can get higher then five feet off the ground," he chuckled, slowly lowering them both back to the ground, his eyes bright with excitement.

"We'll have to find some place where you can practice and not be seen," Dick replied thinking two steps ahead to avoid thinking about two hours behind. "Al, can you search for the nearest wild life preserve or national park? That would work since it's off-season and there'd be no camping or hunting right now. Let us know what you can come up with, and thanks."

"But of course Master Dick, and may I bid you and Master Clark goodnight," the AI replied as he began to work through the problem.

"I really am proud of you, Clark. You're destined to do great and wonderful things, I can feel it in my gut," Dick replied, bringing the younger man's hand up to his lips. "And when the day comes I'll be the sidekick and you'll be the hero. I'm looking forward to that day."

Clark looked skeptical, and released Dick so that he could get out of his costume and back into his jeans. "You do great and wonderful things already, and you've been doing them almost as long as I've been alive. Just because I'm a flying tank, doesn't mean I want to be in charge. When that day comes, we'll be partners, nothing less. Got it?"

"Yes sir, flying tank, sir!" Dick saluted smartly only to spoil the effect with a snicker.

"Anyone ever tell you that you're a bossy pushy bottom boy?" the older man leered at his lover, watching appreciatively as Clark changed clothes. "And a seriously hot one as well! So my super powered superman, what say we adjourn to the bedroom and get raunchy or kinky or cuddly or whatever else moves us?"

"That's super powered bottom boy to you, bud," Clark grinned. "And the bedroom sounds good. I'll even let you choose just what moves us seeing as I think I gave you some gray hairs out there tonight. Deal?"

"Gray hair? Where!" Dick yelped playfully as he made to scramble towards the mirror. "I'm too young to have gray hair!"

"God, what a diva." Clark caught Dick around the waist and hoisted him up to his shoulder. "I'm going to hate to hear you when you get your first wrinkle."

"Diva. DIVA! Just you wait, Kent, you are so gonna get it for that!" Dick bellowed, hanging upside down and fully appreciating the view of Clark's ass that had been presented to him. So the younger man wanted to play, hunh? That was fine by Dick.

After licking his fingers, Dick inveigled one hand down the back of Clark's jeans and pressed his finger inside the younger man, wiggling it as he did so. The fact that Clark nearly dropped him told Dick he'd scored a direct hit. "What's a matter, babe, can't take a diva-like finger up your ass? For shame!"

"You're not gonna like it if I drop you on your head!" Clark leaned against the wall when Dick moved his finger again, each stroke across his prostate a jolt straight up his spine.

Breaking into a run, he got them to the elevator and managed to hit the button so it would take them up to the penthouse, all without collapsing or dropping his lover - something that made him very proud.

Chuckling diabolically, Dick lifted up part of Clark's sweatshirt and proceeded to suck and nibble his way across every part of flesh that he could reach with his mouth before relenting for a moment. "If you drop me I'll get a concussion and you'll have to take me to the hospital and explain how I managed to get concussed while fingering my lover's ass upside down over his shoulder, and that would be a bad thing, wouldn't it?" Dick grinned even though Clark couldn't see.

"Now where was I?" Dick's finger was joined by a second one and he began to fuck Clark slowly, his mouth nibbling and sucking on the patch of skin just above the younger man's waistband and his busily working fingers.

"Jesus, Dick!" Clark wanted to grab onto the wall for support, but since he was holding onto Dick, that wasn't possible. Shuddering with each stroke and suck, and bite, he stumbled out of the elevator the second the doors opened, and managed to get them both to the bedroom before half-collapsing against the bed, Dick still draped over his shoulder.

"One day I'm going to get you - oh God! - and you'll see how it - fuck! - feels to have your lover make you nuts!"

"Promises, promises," Dick laughed warmly as he continued to massage Clark's prostate and rain sucking kisses over all the flesh he could find. With his free hand the older man began to tug at his track pants, getting them off with barely any problem thanks to natural limberness and agility.

"But please, feel free to give it that old college try, Kansas, I'd love to see you try and get the drop on me!"

Faced with an armful of hungry, naked Dick, Clark was rapidly losing any coherent brain function. "When you... least expect it. Expect it." He didn't want to move, didn't want to lose the hot feeling of Dick's fingers and mouth, but he wanted more. Not caring about his clothes at this point, Clark ripped them off himself and rolled them both onto the bed, whining when Dick's fingers slipped out of him.

"Unh-hunh, sure, whatever you say oh master of the universe," Dick grinned, crawling up Clark's body to kiss him hungrily. Deciding that he was in the perfect position, Dick grabbed hold of Clark's cock to hold it steady and sank down upon it with a happy groan.

Each time it was the first time all over again because Clark was so damn huge that Dick always seemed to shrink back into shape during those times when he was the one taking his lover. And Dick adored the tight burn of stretching as he sank down onto Clark's shaft without the aid of anything, even lubricant.

Hissing softly as he finally bottomed out, Dick's eyes closed and then opened again to reveal incandescent blue heat as he stared down at his lover. "Show me you're alive," Dick demanded, not even realizing just what he'd asked for, just wanting to feel Clark alive and moving within him, reaffirming that he still had a reason to keep living.

Clark blinked, dazed lust giving way to hungry need as Dick's words sank in, just as he was sinking into the older man's body.

"I'm alive, Dick," he rasped, grasping hold of his lover's hips and rolling them over so that he was looking down into Dick's bright blue eyes. "I'm alive and I'm with you, just like we're going to be forever."

Dipping his head to take Dick's mouth, his tongue plunging past the other man's lips to explore and taste, Clark began to thrust, driving as deeply as possible into his lover's body as many ways as he could.

Groaning hungrily, never letting his eyes close, Dick watched Clark even as he felt his body begin to soar as surely as it had in the lair when Clark took them for a flight. Wrapping arms and legs around the taller man Dick let go of every thought, every worry, and every concern other than Clark.

The younger man became his whole focus; Dick's chest rising and falling in time with Clark's their heartbeats synchronizing as well. Love you, love you, love you, his mind chanted over and over again as Dick threw everything he was into reaffirming that his lover was alive and well and fucking him through the mattress, loving him with a fierceness that made Dick's bones creak.

"Alive, with you, in you, just like you're with me, in me, always," Clark continued, not even noticing what he was saying, only knowing it was the truth as his heart saw it. "You, Dick, only you, forever."

He thrust harder, feeling Dick's cock slide between their bodies, wetting them both with smears of precome. His own balls tightened, but Clark held back, needing to assure his lover that he was there and always would be. Bending his neck, he closed his lips ant teeth on Dick's neck, worrying a large love bite into the tanned skin, marking Dick with red and purple, a bruise branded there to remind him of reality.

Dick's eyes finally slid shut as his blood pounded in his ears and his pulse raced. So close, so fucking close. Then Clark's lips and teeth and everything coalesced into a white-hot ball of flame in his gut that spread throughout his body and had him coming hard, shouting out unintelligibly as orgasm claimed and drove him. "Clark!"

"Yes! Come for me, Dick. Me, only me." The words blurred into a cadence that matched the rhythm of his heart, and Clark's spine arched as he thrust one final time into Dick's body, coming, then collapsing around and over his lover, circling him with his arms and his love. "Only one..." he murmured, kissing Dick's face and neck.

"Damn straight!" Dick replied with a tired grin, his fingers pushing the sweat damp hair back off of Clark's face so he could see his lover's eyes. "Not gonna let you go, gonna stay with you until I breathe my last breath, I swear it," the older man murmured, brushing soft kisses against Clark's mouth.

"Okay I'm officially wrecked now," the older man continued with a slight chuckle. "Totally screwed, and I mean that literally."

Lifting up enough to look down at Dick, Clark shook his head. "Fruitcake." After kissing his lover, he reached for some Kleenex to clean them up, then settled back into the bed curled around Dick. "Get some sleep, weve got class tomorrow." And Clark supposed they'd find out who, if anyone, saw his little stunt that evening and what the repercussions would be.

Dick's eyes snapped open when Clark's breathing finally settled into a now familiar pattern of deep sleep. The younger man was down for the count. Gently extricating himself from his lover's arms, the crime fighter slid out of bed and grabbed his robe at the foot of the bed in deference to the chilly night air. A quick note left on the pillow in case Clark woke up told the younger man that he was down in the lair and that he wasn't taking off, scout's honor.

The elevator descended swiftly and the minute the doors opened the lights powered up, activated by motion censors. "Al, get me a hook up to the 'cave will ya? I need to talk to Bruce."

It took mere seconds. "Dick? What's wrong? It's four o'clock in the morning in Metropolis, why aren't you asleep?" came Bruce's worried voice. How far they had come in recent years, Dick thought idly, how hard had Bruce and he worked to change their relationship for the better - to build a family instead of merely a working partnership. So much might remain unspoken between them but it was at times like this that Dick had no doubts whatsoever at the depth of Bruce's feelings for him. This was a father's concern, not a friend's, and it warmed him in spite of the chill of his location.

"Couldn't sleep, the brain is on full alert, you know?" Dick murmured, knowing that Bruce would understand only too well. How many times had he been the one who got such a call when Batman was about to head out for his second or third patrol of the night.

"I just wanted to see if you had any info on a group calling themselves the Intergang. Clark had a run in with them tonight when I was at my exam. I want to know what to expect from them," Dick continued, suddenly reluctant to talk about what he'd really come down here to deal with.

"I'll have the computers here pull everything I can find on them and have Oracle do the same. Try and get some sleep, Dick," Bruce scolded gently.

"Sure thing, Dad," the younger man shot back, a grin apparent in his voice. "G'night, Bruce. And thanks."

The lair fell silent for a moment and then Dick hit a sequence of buttons to connect him to Titan's Tower New York and one person in particular.

"Hey, Fishface, I know it's late but... he flew today, Garth," Dick managed to get out between hyperventilating. "He fell off a fucking eighty-five story building and then he flew. I am so far outta my league it isn't funny..."

Yawning, unsure of the time, Clark rolled over in the bed, coming more awake when he felt the cool sheets next to him and realized that his lover wasn't with him. "Dick?" he called, sitting up enough to peer around, at the same time pushing his hair back out of his eyes.

No answer, that surprised Clark as a glance at the clock told him it was early, too early for Dick to be up and about if he didn't have to be. He shifted, intending to get out of bed, and felt paper under his hand. Picking up the note, he read it and frowned, the other man's apparent insomnia worrying him.

After brushing his teeth and getting dressed, Clark headed downstairs, pausing only to make a pot of coffee and pour some into a thermal mug. Carrying that, he walked to the hidden elevator and took it down to the lair, pausing when the doors opened silently and he heard Dick's voice and then Garth's.

Clark sighed. Apparently, his partner wasn't as 'okay' with what had happened yesterday as he'd said he was.

"He's your son, all right, fishface," Dick laughed, hiding a yawn behind his hand. What had started off as Garth calming him down and just listening to all the fears he'd wanted to keep hidden from Clark had ended up in a catch up session between himself and his Atlantean friend.

"Tell that godson of mine to keep up the good work driving his papa nuts, and give Dolphin my apologies for keeping you awake all night. I promise that the Amazon gets the next panic call so you can get some sleep."

"I thought we'd decided to stop counting the number of times one of us called the other. You were there for me when Tula died, old friend, and when I married again and you became my son's air-breathing guardian. Besides we have lost many a night just talking in the past before we settled down into our lives. And I have missed you too, short pants," Garth laughed, using one of Dick's much hated nicknames.

"If it weren't for Cerdian and Dol, minnow..." Dick threatened with a playful growl. "Go and kiss your wife and kid for me. And come visit Clark and I in Metropolis when you get the chance, we've got lots of water to play in."

"I'll pass on the invitation but not the kiss. Kiss your own mate, horn dog!" Garth laughed. "Try and get some sleep, okay? And don't be a stranger anymore."

"I won't. Talk to you soon, Gar," Dick smiled, signing off. Huddling deeper into the blanket he'd dragged off the bed an hour ago, the crime fighter stared blankly at the screen for long moments and then sighed. Screw classes today, he needed down time badly.

Swiveling in his chair, Dick stood and was about to walk over to the lair's bed to crash when he saw Clark standing there, coffee cup in hand. "Hey, how long have you been up?"

"Long enough," Clark answered, moving over to Dick and holding out the mug. "How are Garth and his family?"

"Great, Dol thinks she may be pregnant again which means that there's gonna be another tadpole at the Tower. I may actually have to give up my room there at the rate things are going," Dick chuckled wrapping his hands around the hot mug with a grateful smile.

"And Donna is dating again, thank god, I was really beginning to worry about her. Apparently a couple of our old teammates are going to be there, visiting, next week. Garth didn't say who but it should be quite the party. Thank god the tower is big enough to house all those people otherwise it would be a zoo!"

Swallowing a couple of gulps of coffee, Dick yawned and scratched his stomach as he automatically gravitated towards Clark as a source of heat. "I think I'm gonna blow off class today and get some sleep. I didn't expect to spend the night talking but we had so much to catch up on. What about you, hero? You're gonna be late if you don't get the lead out."

Clark shrugged, and guided them both toward the bed so that Dick could at least sit down before he fell down. "My first one isn't until ten so I've got some time." He gave a small smile. "After all, not all of us can ace every class we're taking without even trying, remember?"

Supporting Dick while he drank the hot coffee, Clark rested his cheek against the back of the older man's head. "Do you want to go to New York for the party?"

Dick snorted and then had a coughing fit as the coffee went down the wrong pipe. When he was finally able to breathe again he turned his head far enough to catch Clark's eyes. "And just what is your current GPA, oh Mr. Not everyone's a genius? Damn close to mine if I remember correctly, and the reason I can get those courses in criminology is because I've had years of applied experience and went to the police academy. You're doing it your first time and matching me so let's talk about who's the brains in the family."

Having made his point, Dick turned his head back to a more comfortable position and shifted until it rested in the crook of Clark's neck. "As for the party, I wouldn't mind going if we have time but I'm not going without you. You're my present and my future so I'd kinda like you to know about my past first hand - and meet some of my best friends. But if the city doesn't let us go then we don't go, no great loss really."

"I'd like to go if we can. It would give me a chance to get some more gossip about you..." Dick elbowed him, and Clark pretended to wince. "Really, I want to meet your friends, besides, Wally promised to show me the town if we ever got out there, I plan to take him up on it."

Deciding arguing about who was smarter wasn't really productive, Clark chuckled. "Hey, do any of them fly? Maybe they can give me some pointers."

"If Wally's gonna show you the town you aren't gonna see a thing, he is the Flash after all," Dick laughed, "although I think you're probably faster than him. And if they value their lives they won't say a word. I know where they live, after all," the older man continued.

"And I have a feeling that Donna would only be too happy to give you a few pointers. What with her family connections and all she knows a bit on the subject," Dick grinned. Created by an ancient earth sorceress and blessed by the ancient Greek Gods, the Titans, from clay at the behest of Princess Diana of the Amazons, sister to Princess Diana, Wonder Woman, and daughter to Hipolyta, yeah Donna had a bit of info on flight.

"Are you going to take bets if he and I race?" Clark chuckled. "And I'll promise to protect them, especially Donna, if she'll tutor me. I really don't feel like splatting into a wall or the ground because I turned wrong."

"Damn straight I will, I'll make a killing!" Dick replied, smirking as he brought Clark's arms more strongly around his waist, twining their fingers together. "And splatting Donna would be bad, very bad, after all how would I explain it to a whole passel of angry Gods?"

"I meant splatting myself," Clark chuckled, before pausing. "Whole passel of angry gods? Do I even want to know?"

"Lessee, Chronos, Rhea and, umm, man Dee is gonna kick my ass if she finds out I can't remember the rest of em, but they're the Titans, the ones before the Gods of Olympus. They're kind of Donna's protectors," Dick explained. "And you're not allowed to splat yourself either. We still don't know how much you can take before it's too much. I'm not gonna lose you, Clark, got it?"

Turning around so that his legs were over one of Clark's and he was sideways between the younger man's legs, Dick stroked the younger man's face. "No going splat without me, not now, not ever. Read me?"

Clark nodded, his expression turning serious. Now they were getting to the heart of what had been bothering Dick last night, and he was glad for it. "Gotcha. No splatting, no squishing, only good things and lots of them."

He leaned his head to the side, resting his cheek against Dick's palm. "You wanna talk about it, or did you get it out of your system with Garth?" he asked quietly.

Dick tucked his head against Clark's chest and was silent for long minutes, trying to gather his thoughts, trying to sort through the emotions and make them into logical, coherent words. "I meant what I said last night. I am proud of you, Clark, and happy for you too. You're coming into your own more and more as each day passes.

"You went up there last night intent on stopping the Intergang and making sure no one else got hurt. When one of them was in danger of dying you saved him at what could have been great cost to yourself. You're amazing, and I don't say that lightly. You truly are," Dick paused and took a deep breath.

"It's just that, and don't you fucking dare beat yourself up over this because it's my personal demon, no one else's, it's just that being on the ground as I watched you fall... I lost one family that way and if I'd lost you too," Dick swallowed loudly. "If I lost you too I don't know what I would have done but I do know I'm very glad I never found out."

After removing the mug from Dick's hand, Clark gathered his lover close to him, resting his face against the top of Dick's head. "I promise, I'll do everything I can to keep you from ever finding out too," he whispered. "Honestly, if it doesn't concern meteor rocks, I'm not sure anything will hurt me."

He fell quiet, stroking Dick's back, and rubbing their faces together. "Thank you for telling me. I know it wasn't easy for you."

"I won't ever lie to you or keep secrets, Clark. I promise," Dick answered immediately, sighing at the overwhelming comfort that the younger man's touch provided him. "Anything you want to know I'll tell. Maybe not right away but I will. I just needed to work it out in my head, get a handle on it. Garth has had to make similar decisions and he knows the repercussions. It was my turn to ask for advice this time around, I guess.

"Wait a minute, meteor rocks?"

"It helps to have someone who understands." Clark tilted his head to the side before straightening up enough to look down at Dick. "Yeah, meteor rocks. They landed when I did, I think they're part of wherever I came from, and... They make me sick when I get near them. Really sick. Remember how I told you about being the scarecrow when I was a freshman in high school? Well, that happened because I was wearing a meteor rock so I couldn't do anything to fight. It was... really bad."

"Clark..." Dick took a deep breath, not wanting to ask but having to know. "Does Lex know about the rocks, about what they can do to you?"

"I don't think so... No, he doesn't, I'm pretty sure of that." Frowning, Clark studied Dick's face, trying to understand what he was getting at. "Do you think he'd... No way, he wouldn't - he couldn't!" Deep in his heart, however, Clark felt a chill, thinking that maybe the man he'd loved wouldn't do that, but the man Lex Luthor had become could and would if Clark stood in his way.

"I hope you're right, lover, but I don't want to take that chance. Where can I see one of these rocks? I want to send it to Bruce for analysis and find a way to get the rest of them gathered up. I don't want to take any chances that he might find one or find a way to use them against you. Ever," Dick replied quietly, hating to make Clark think that the person he'd loved first could ever become someone who'd want to destroy him.

"Try just about anywhere in Smallville," Clark sighed. "They're all over the place and it's not fun when someone comes into too close contact with them, believe me." He sighed, remembering all of the lives that had been changed because of his arrival and the meteors. "Next time we go back, come with me for a walk in the woods and I'm sure I can find you one, or we can call my folks, they know what to look for and they can ship it to Bruce."

"I'd rather have your folks send it, if you don't mind," Dick replied quickly. "If it hurts you like you say it does I don't want those things anywhere near you!" The mere thought that anything could hurt Clark had an icy ball of fear forming in the pit of his stomach.

Dick knew Clark believed in the good in everyone, even a slime like Luthor, but he'd had his trust in humanity destroyed one to many times for that. Oh he believed that people were generally good, but he also knew that there were people who were just plain evil. People like Lex Luthor. If Luthor even had an inkling of how those meteors affected Clark then he'd have at least one under wraps as a contingency plan. And it was up to Dick to make sure that he didn't. "I'll give 'em a call when you're at school just to arrange the details and then I'll call Bruce to let him know what's coming," Dick continued after a moment. Maybe he could co-opt Jonathan into helping him have the rocks collected. Nothing like a common enemy to the man they both loved as father and as lover to help bury some bad feelings.

Clark shrugged. "Sure, if you want, but mind waiting until I get home? I really should talk to them and tell them what happened last night..." He trailed off, unsure as how to bring it up because his parents didn't know anything about his part-time job as Nightwing's shadow or anything about his lover's other life.

"And what will you say to them, babe? You learned how to fly because you jumped or were shoved off a roof by a meta-human criminal gang while you were dressed up as a vigilante to try and stop them? That might not go over real well," the older man pointed out as gently as possible. "If you don't tell them, it's not lying and it's not hurting them. If they ask, you tell them the truth but you don't have to volunteer it."

"And when they see something on the news about some guy flying around Metropolis helping to save people? Come on, Dick. My folks may be farmers, but that doesn't mean they're stupid. They know what I can do, is flying that much of a stretch for them to believe?"

He sighed, and rubbed at his face. "Sorry. Lying to my folks is a sore spot. I - I did it a lot when Lex and I were together, and it took a lot for me to win back their trust. I don't want to lose it again."

"Then tell them. Everything. Because by the same token every time Nightwing and his shadow make news it's gonna set off alarm bells. Nightwing was from Bludhaven. He moved to Metropolis and ended up with a partner who could rip steel like paper, could melt rock with his eyes and is invulnerable to all matter of natural and unnatural forces of destruction. By your own words, they're not stupid, Clark, and my money says they already know they just don't want to know. But the choice is yours, it always has been," Dick replied quietly.

"And super speed or not, you'd better get moving or you'll be late for class."

Exposing Dick as Nightwing would eventually lead his parents to finding out that Bruce was Batman... God, what a mess. "I'll wait," he whispered, knowing that the secrets he now had to keep from his parents were for different reasons, good reasons rather than selfish ones.

"And yeah, I'd better get going. Are you going to sleep down here or head back up with me?"

"Clark, I don't want you to lie to your parents to protect me. I don't want to be like... him, okay?" Dick replied gruffly. "And despite what I know you're thinking, exposing me won't expose Bruce, after all there's always been a Robin, even when there's been a Nightwing, whose to say they're the same person? Tell them, Clark, I don't want this to come between us somewhere down the road. I don't want this to come between you and your parents. If you feel that strongly, tell them."

Climbing out of Clark's lap, Dick stood and stretched. "I think I'll curl up in our bed. It's been 'Clarkified' enough that I should be able to fall asleep even if you're not there with me," the older man continued, heading towards the elevator.

"I'll think about it," Clark sighed, standing and following after his lover, catching up to him just as the elevator doors opened.

"If I'm lucky, will you still be there when I get home?" he asked, smiling down at Dick and nuzzling his neck. "The bed may be Clarkified, but I'd like to be Dickified sometime today."

"Well with incentive like that I think I can force myself to stay in bed and lounge around all day," Dick grinned, arching his neck to one side a little more to let Clark's mouth wander further over his skin. "In fact I can probably guarantee that not only will you be 'dickified' but you'll be dicked as well," the older man continued, laughing at Clark's groan. "Hey, you asked for that!"

Pressing the button to send the elevator up to the first floor, Dick closed his eyes and simply rested against Clark until the door slid open to let them out. He followed Clark into the kitchen and watched the younger man throw together his lunch and then walked with him to the front door.

"Guess it's my turn to be 'house frau' today," the older man laughed suddenly, remembering one of Clark's earliest comments back in the 'haven. "Have a good day at school, babe, and come home quick so I can reward your hard day of work," Dick leered, letting the blanket slip a little to expose his washboard stomach and the low riding track pants that revealed almost as much as they hid. "Now get out of here so I can get some sleep. Love you, Kansas."

Unable to resist, Clark dropped to his knees and licked his way up Dick's chest and neck to his mouth, kissing him deeply. "Love you too, short pants." He stepped back before Dick could swing at him, grabbed his backpack and darted for the door. "That mean you're cooking too?"

"Call me short pants again, spaceboy, and no nookie for a week!" Dick threatend with a growl.

"As for cooking - no. Ordering from that Thai place we both like? You betcha! Me, cook," the older man continued with a shake of his head, "an oxymoron if I ever heard one!"

"I really need to leave you with my mom for a week or two, she'd teach you all right," Clark laughed, biting at Dick's belly before standing, giving his lover a smoldering look. "And you're saying you can resist me for a week? Riiiiight."

Dick sighed melodramatically. "I wonder if there's a support group for people with addictions to sex with super-powered aliens?" and could you survive leaving me with your mom for a week or two or better yet could your father survive it? Now get to class so I can get to sleep, Kansas!"

Pushing the younger man out the door, Dick closed it behind Clark and activated the security alarm before heading up stairs to bed. The minute his head hit the pillows and the covers were pulled up over him the crime fighter was asleep.

"I'm home and I'm hungry!" Clark shouted, letting the door bang closed behind him and turning the lock before dropping his books in his office and going in search of his lover. "Hey! Richard! If you're still asleep, I'm coming up to dump you out of that bed! You promised me Thai when I got home, where is it?"

Dick chuckled from where he stood on the balcony, putting the final touches to their meal in place. One thing was for sure, if he wanted to be heard Clark had no problem with making his presence known. Apparently voice projection was another of his lover's 'super' gifts.

Deciding to let Clark find him, Dick wandered over to the balcony's railing and leaned against it to take in the Metropolis skyline as he drank his beer. The sun was just setting and it made diamonds dance along the surface of the Metropolis River. At times like this he felt like he was back in Gotham again.

Barely hearing the slow jazz playing in the background Dick was content to let his mind wander until he felt a strong pair of arms wrap around his waist. "Was wondering when you'd find me," he murmured, leaning back to rest his head on Clark's shoulder. "The food should still be hot, I stuck it in the chafing plate to keep it warm. Ready to eat?"

"No, I was just yelling because I felt like it," Clark chuckled before turning his head to worry the tender flesh of Dick's throat. "God, the view's beautiful out here, and no I don't mean the river." He smiled a bit at that and slid his hands over Dick's muscular abdomen.

"How'd you sleep?"

"I slept," Dick replied absently, his fingers tracing back and forth along the flesh of Clark's arms. "Not as well as I do when you're in bed next to me but well enough.

"So, I was thinking that if you'd be willing to skip a day or two of school we could go to New York a little early and have a couple of days to ourselves before heading to the Titan's Tower. We could get a room just off of Central Park and explore the Village and Soho and the Park and do tourist type things, kind of like a vacation."

"Sounds good to me." Clark licked the now warm skin. "I've never been to New York before, so we'd get to explore some. How'd you like living there?"

"It was... less crime-filled than either Gotham or the 'haven if you can believe it. There was so much to see and to do, the city really never slept. There was Broadway and art galleries and museums, skating in Rockerfeller Plaza and so much more to do. Admittedly at first I couldn't care less and later on I tended to do what Kori wanted over what I did but... I loved it. I can't wait to show you everything and let you show me what you want to see," Dick replied with a smile.

"Think we'll have time to go the Statue of Liberty?" Clark asked. "I've always wanted to see it, sort of fitting, you know? Other then that, I'm up for anything, and maybe a ball game if anyone's in town?

"You know, I've flown by it, I've driven by it in a boat and a car but I've never actually gone up the statue," Dick mused with a bashful grin. "It was just... always there. Kinda like the WTC. Never went up those and now they're gone. That should teach me to not take advantage of things, shouldn't it? And I could see a ball game, or the New York Knicks if they're in town. Whatever you want to see, babe. We can even go see something at Radio City Music Hall if you want.

"But eat first, I thought you were hungry. After dinner we can hop on the net and see what we want to do, plan a sort of itinerary - a loose one that includes sleeping in. And a couple of clubs," Dick insisted.

"Nah, no Rockettes for me. But the sleeping in and clubs sound fun." Clark fell silent for a moment. "Do you want to go to Ground Zero? Sort of pay our respects?"

"It would be a nice thing to do, maybe leave something from Nightwing and his sidekick too?" Dick offered. "Actually I think I'd rather visit it as Nightwing. It's the least I can do, given the circumstances," the older man decided. He could go back as Dick later but the first visit, it had to be as Nightwing.

Tightening his arms around Dick once again, Clark nodded. "Yeah, that feels right, respectful." Turning Dick around, he kissed him, stroking a hand over the older man's face. "I love you so damn much."

"If you love me you'll eat before you start complaining I tried to starve you," Dick retorted, ducking Clark's arms and shooing him towards the patio table. "After all, I wouldn't want you to faint from lack of nourishment when you're being 'dickified' I believe you called it, after dinner."

"You started it with the bed being Clarkified," Clark chuckled, settling into one of the wrought iron chairs and groaning when he caught a whiff of the food. "Fork? Chop sticks? Fingers?" he asked, opening the first container and looking around for something to eat with. "Beer?"

Dick took the carton away from his lover and opened the lid, pulling out a piece of green curry chicken and carrying it up to Clark's mouth, letting the juices soak the younger man's lips before dropping it in. "There's beer in the ice bucket, and I've got a treat for you for dessert. Chocolate covered Dick," the older man grinned.

"Where exactly do they sell that?" Clark asked after chewing, swallowing, and slowly licking his lips. "It sounds like quite a delicacy." He leaned over to grab two beers out of the ice, opening them with a quick twist of his wrist.

"It's a one of a kind treat, a true rarity in the world and I had to search many years for the right ingredients and then blend them together just right in order to produce the treat," Dick replied as he fed his lover another piece of the succulent meat, letting the sauce dribble down Clark's chin and then licking it off and exploring his lover's mouth. Again and again he fed Clark the meal with his fingers - chicken, rice, vegetables, bits of spring rolls and bamboo shoots, taking time to feed himself and taste the younger man

Growling deep in his chest, Clark caught Dick around the hips and dragged him into his lap, now finding time to lick and nip at his lover's fingers with each bite. "Think you make it taste even better," he murmured, catching hold of Dick's hand and licking a rivulet of sauce from his palm. "I'm really looking forward to this dessert, too. It must have taken a long time to prepare."

"Haven't even started it yet," Dick replied blithely, thinking of the jar of Godiva's chocolate body paint waiting on their night table next to a bed now covered in a cheap set of sheets and a rubber underpad. "It's the sort of dessert that needs to be served as soon as it's prepared. Wouldn't want it to get too soft, now would we?"

Clark had to snicker at that. "Yeah, I can imagine how that might cause a problem." He reached for his beer and took a sip, and then another, pulling Dick in to share this one with him. After licking the foam from the older man's mouth, he continued. "So, do I have to clean my plate to get dessert?"

"Well you'll definitely have to lick your dessert plate clean so I leave the choice up to you. If you think you're not gonna be able to handle dinner and dessert you need to decide which one you want more," the older man replied with a smirk. "Tough choice, I know but you're on your own for it." Just to make things a little more interesting, Dick chose that particular moment to get a full body shiver from the cool breeze that drifted down his back, grinning at the soft moan from his lover.

"I can always finish dinner after I eat my dessert if I'm still hungry..." Clark rasped, very close to picking Dick up and speeding them up to the bedroom. "That way I really don't have to choose between the two, do I?"

"See what a smart man you are?" Dick laughed as he slid out of Clark's arms. Stripping his clothes off he picked up the jar of chocolate body paint and lay down on the bed spread-eagled before tossing the jar at his lover. "So, what are you waiting for?"

Moving a bit more slowly because he was distracted by the truly amazing sight of Dick sprawled out on their bed, all toned, tanned limbs, electric eyes and midnight hair against the plain white sheets, Clark stripped as well. "I was waiting for you to hold still," he murmured, popping the jar open and inhaling the scent of the creamy milk chocolate.

"And now that you are..." Before straddling Dick's waist, Clark rolled him over to his stomach, leaving himself with the broad canvas of his lover's back to work on. "Do you prefer portraits, abstracts or still life?" he asked, dipping a finger into the dark liquid and running it in a sweeping curve across Dick's shoulders.

"Surprise me, Picasso," Dick grinned, capturing the chocolate drenched finger with one hand and bringing it up to his lips to lick clean, 'blowing' Clark's finger as he did so. When the last drop of chocolate had been cleaned off, the older man hummed his approval and let it slide out of his mouth, smacking his lips together. "Chocolate covered Clark is pretty damn tasty too - I may have to make myself a serving of that some time. Or perhaps caramel covered Clark, or strawberry.... Oooh I know, cherries ala Clark! Perfect!"

"Cherries?" Clark snickered, though he was rubbing his groin against Dick's ass almost unconsciously. "Trying to make up for the fact that you didn't get mine?"

"Babe, I got the one that counts," Dick grinned, "so I can't complain at all. But I happen to like cherries - plump, slightly tart, slightly sweet, perfect round globes of fleshy fruit that are just perfect to nibble on. What's not to like about cher..." Dick sucked in a gasp of air as the younger man's tongue began to clean off his artwork, "ries. Damn, you're gonna have chocolate and cream before long at this rate!"

Dipping his finger into the chocolate once again, Clark drew whatever caught his fancy on his lover's body; abstract squiggles, a pair of wings, two half-formed bodies twined around each other. The designs grew to cover all of Dick's back, and Clark shifted lower to decorate his ass, drawing spirals on each cheek before licking them.

"My favorite combination," Clark murmured before continuing to lap at Dick's ass, cleaning the dark swirls from his flesh before spreading the firm flesh and blowing a stream of air over the puckered muscle between them.

Groaning, the older man arched up into Clark's wickedly talented tongue, moaning and fisting the sheets as he writhed shamelessly on the bed. "Considering my cock's pointing at the mattress, unless you want to suck on cotton you're gonna be shit outta luck," Dick had to gasp out, unconsciously begging for more, for anything that Clark would give him. He was such a slut when it came to the younger man but damn, who could blame him?

Lifting his head for a moment, Clark bit down on one of the perfect asscheeks before him. "Well, then, you'd better just use some of that famous control that Bruce taught you and not come then, aren't you?" Having said that, he dipped his head back down again, lapping at the circle of muscle, teasing it with the tip of his tongue.

"CLARK!" Dick practically howled, his back arching like a cat's when it's in heat as his fingers dug into the cotton and rubber, holding him down when he would have quite possibly achieved orbit from that tongue alone. "Sadistic, nasty, evil little prick, who are you and what have you done with my sweet bottom boy slut!" the older man moaned happily.

"Your sweet little bottom boy slut figures that if he gets you crazy enough, you'll send him into orbit when you finally get to fuck him," Clark laughed before pressing his tongue deeper into Dick's ass, savoring the musky taste and the hints of leftover chocolate.

Growling, Dick bucked up, trying to dislodge the heavier man but only succeeding in piercing himself more firmly with Clark's tongue. Panting heavily he gripped the fabric, hardly hearing it start to tear underneath his white knuckled grip.

The shrill, ululating ring on the telephone beside their bed had Dick howling in disbelief and slumping onto the bed. "Not now, Jesus fuck, not now!" he snarled at the phone that was emitting the special tone designed to alert them that Cyber-Al had detected a situation that needed their alter-egos ASAP.

"What the..." Dazed and disoriented, Clark lifted his head, though he still kept an iron grip on Dick's hips. When his lover began squirming in earnest, however, he let go, shaking his head to focus on the phone and process the reason for that particular strident ring. "Fuck!"

"Not right now, dammit all," Dick groaned in reply, "and who knows if we're gonna be in the mood when we get back. Sometimes this job sucks!" Pushing Clark off of him, Dick headed to the elevator. "C'mon. You can see what we're up against while I take a quick shower to get the chocolate off - a cold shower or I'm never gonna be able to get my suit over this," Dick growled, looking down at his bobbing erection with utter disgust.

Picking himself up off the floor where he'd landed when he hadn't reacted quickly enough to stay on the bed, Clark nodded, finally getting his brain to engage in thoughts of something other than Dick's body and why it wasn't under him any longer.

"I'll shower up here and meet you down there since I've got the same problem in case you hadn't noticed." The last was added dryly. "I can be done a lot faster than you, so I'll still have a chance to see which slimeball is doing what now."

"Whoever it is he or she is gonna have to deal with some seriously pissed vigilantes. I was really looking forward to seeing if I could make you shatter something with your screams," the older man snarled as he practically pulled the closet door off it's hinges in frustration. "I want blood, dammit!"

"So who are we up again... no! nonononono!" Dick moaned as he recognized the all too familiar site of Harley Quinn's jester's hat in the surveillance tape. Add to it the fact that Bud and Lou, her pet hyenas, were there and Dick was ready to pound his head against the floor.

Hitting the button that connected them to the Batcave, Dick had Bruce on the line in moments. "Tell me the Joker is still in Arkham. Please tell me he is!" the junior knight demanded of his mentor and father.

"One second Dick, let me pull up the vid feed.... Yeah he's there. Why?" Bruce replied, a low thread of venom apparent in his voice, understandably so.

"Apparently Harley's decided to do some shopping - she picked Metropolis. Clark and I can handle it though. Nightwing out." Letting the connection go, Dick rubbed his throbbing temples. "Just fucking peachy!" he sighed.

"Old acquaintance I take it?" Clark asked as he typed in a command to have Cyber-Al download all his information on Harley Quinn to the Nightbird's computer; he'd study it while they were on the way to wherever they were going to take care of her.

"You could say that. Harley Quinn, a.k.a. Dr. Harleen Quinzel was a psychoanalyst at Arkham Asylum who got a little too deep into The Joker's head and went nuts. She ended up his lover and as whacked as he is - and about as dangerous. Totally amoral, totally unbalanced and doesn't give a shit who gets hurt so long as she has fun. God, it's gonna be a long night," Dick moaned, "and a messy one. She never does things half way, if you know what I mean. And those damned hyenas tend to look at me like lunch."

Clark sighed and pulled his cowl up over his head. "Let 'em chew on me. I guarantee they'll never bite anyone again." He reached out, stroking a hand over Dick's shoulders, then tried to assume the professional demeanor he'd been working on developing. "So, what's her weakness and what's the best way to stop her and minimize her damage?"

"Her weakness is the Joker - she'd do anything for the sicko which makes her just as sick. Other than that, take her down hard and fast and don't let her crocodile tears fool you. She's one hell of an actress and a manipulative little bitch as well. She's a piece of work, that's for sure," Nightwing groaned, sliding behind the wheel of the Nightbird.

"We'd better get going or there won't be a downtown core to save. The only bonus to all this is that it's Luthor's department store that she's roaming free in. Poor baby, all that damage," Dick continued insincerely. "I bet this is just killing him!"

"I'm not really worried about the store," Clark frowned, "Just the people inside. Are there any civilians involved?"

"I'm not sure, but knowing Harley I'd have to say yes. She likes a crowd almost as much as her boss does. After all, what's the point of causing all this mayhem if people aren't around to appreciate it, right?" Nightwing scowled, gunning the engine and sending the Nightbird hurtling into the early evening traffic, hoping that they'd get there before anyone seriously pissed the crazy woman in the harlequin suit off enough for her to bust a cap in them.

Luthor's department store was already cordoned off. There were people crying and others giving statements. A huge crowd had been drawn to the spectacle and reporters from both the Daily Planet and the Metropolis Inquistor were there covering the chaos. And there in the center of the 'command' area, cops and firefighters and the chief of police and commissioner swirling around him, was Lex Luthor.

"Shit!" Nightwing growled succinctly.

"That says it all," Clark sighed, watching as the city officials scurried around, toadying to his former boyfriend. "How do you want to handle this? Go in through the roof or the side or... through official channels?" He shuddered at the thought of the last for while normally that's what he thought of as being right, getting close to Lex wasn't feasible.

"We deal with Harley first and then deal with the rest but just to be on the safe side, why don't you head up to the roof and scope things out while I talk to the Commissioner. He's not in Luthor's pocket, therefore I trust him to a certain extent." Dick knew he should let Clark come too instead of letting him cool his heels on the roof but there was no way he wanted his lover anywhere near Luthor. The bastard wasn't going to be so lucky.

"Commissioner," Nightwing growled, his voice deepened and rougher than Dick Grayson's as he strode through the command area, ignoring Luthor entirely.

"Nightwing, you're a sight for sore eyes. There's a crazy woman inside and..."

"Her name is Harley Quinn and she's not just crazy, she's deadly. Her normal partner in crime is the Joker," Nightwing interrupted. "Luckily for us the Joker is still in Arkham. I've just been on the horn with Batman and he's confirmed this. My partner and I will handle Harley, just try and keep the crowds away and the cops away from their weapons."

Spinning on his heel he headed back into the crowd, Nightwing disappeared into the shadows and was soon heading towards the roof and his partner. Time to see what was going on inside.

Clark had been listening in on Nightwing's end of the conversation through his headpiece, and he scanned the roof, looking down through the stairwells to assure himself that Dick's path up was clear of obstructions. His own path up had been totally clear as, after checking the area for gawkers, he'd leapt into the air and flown to the roof.

"Looks like she's on the second floor," he said once Nightwing arrived, the two of them staying in the shadows to avoid advertising their presence. His sensitive hearing picked up a crash, and he shrugged. "Must not like the merchandise."

"Any hostages?" Nightwing asked, getting his game face on a little more firmly as he retracted the automatic jump lines that were housed in the forearm area of his costume which he'd used to climb up the side of the building.

Using his infrared lenses, Nightwing checked for trip wires and alarms and then very carefully picked the lock to the skylight, opening it. "Care to give me a lift down, gorgeous?" he grinned at his lover. "And show off your new found skills to me a bit?"

"Looks like her dogs have four people cornered in the fur section. Right now I think she's looking at the jewelry." Letting his vision return to normal, Clark looked at Dick. "And I'd be glad to be your personal elevator. It looked like the third floor was deserted, so we should be okay."

Slinging one arm around Dick's waist, Clark stepped out over the now open skylight and descended toward the marble floor, scanning the area around them and trying to keep his body between Dick and any possible attack points. They broke apart when they hit the floor, rolling for the shadows, and, on Dick's signal, Clark followed him toward the escalator. "Want me to make some noise so you can get down?" he asked.

"Are you saying I can't make it down without making noise?" Nightwing whispered in mock affront. "Keep it up, junior, and next time you can stay in the car!"

Making some quick calculations the older man continued. "We go after Harley first. Her mutts will come and help her over keeping the hostages pinned. That should give them the break they need to get out of here and give us all the baddies at the same time. I'll take the escalator; you circle back and take the stairs. That should put you behind Harley and her 'babies' and box them between us."

"I didn't mean it that way..." Clark protested before falling silent and nodding a Dick described his plan.

"Okay, is my main target Harley or the dogs?"

Nightwing chuckled. "Knowing Harley it won't matter. It's gonna be a free-for-all. Just go for whoever's closest and bring 'em down with the minimum of damage. Luthor's got insurance to cover the breakage so do what you have to to stop the perps within reason."

At Clark's nod the two separated, Dick Grayson feeling a twinge of protective worry that was easily stamped into submission by Nightwing and the job they had to do.

Making it to the jewelry section, Dick grinned and cleared his throat, causing the moll to spin around with a look of dawning horror slash disbelief slash annoyance on her face. "Harley, Harley, Harley. It's a long way from Gotham for a shopping trip."

Clark was already down the stairs and in position when he heard Dick's comment, and he forced himself not to grin. Trust Nightwing to come up with the perfect line for any situation.

Deciding to give the hostages some extra time, he emerged from the shadows behind the two hyenas, darting forward to yank their stubby tails. "C'mere doggies, play with me."

"Hey! Leave my babies alone!" Harley hollered, lunging at Clark only to be stopped by Nightwing. "Bud, Lou, get 'em!"

"Harley, I'm heartbroken. Here I thought you came to Metropolis to check up on an old friend but no, now you attack my partner and me? Where are your manners, little girl?" Nightwing asked, ducking a punch. "For shame, Miss Quinzel, that's no way for a lady to act!"

"Oh stuff a sock in it, bird boy!" Harley snarled, lunging again only to have Nightwing side step her. "Geez can't a girl have a little fun without you bat brain types ruining it?!"

"Hey, I'm not a bat," Clark called, stepping backwards to lure the two hyenas away from the small huddle of people, then motioning for them to run while he corralled the snarling canines, catching them both behind the ears and lifting them up off the ground.

"I think these two need to go to the pound, what about you, Nightwing?"

"I think they all do," the older man replied, catching Harley by the waist and hauling her up enough to throw a pair of 'nightcuffs' on her to keep her hands out of trouble. Swatting her butt and ignoring her subsequent shrieks of indigence Nightwing hefted the lady crook under his arm more securely and headed to the front door to hand her over to the authorities.

"You'll be happy to know we apprehended her without any more damage, Luthor, but I would suggest you close the store down for the night until it's cleaned up. Oh and I'd have better security locks put on your skylight. It was a breeze to open," Nightwing informed Lex smugly as he handed Harley over to the cops while Clark took care of stuffing the hyenas into the animal control van.

"Commissioner, you know how to reach us if there's anymore trouble." And with that Nightwing was airborne and heading back to where the Nightbird had been parked.

Making a face at the slobber the hyenas had gotten all over his suit, Clark scratched the back of his neck. "Was it me, or did that seem too easy?"

"Too easy. Of course that leads one to wonder just why Harley Quinn had a personal invite to cause mayhem in a Luthor store... Al, check the car for bugs," Dick growled getting a twitch in his stomach, "or anything else for that matter..."

While the AI did that, Clark twisted around, scanning the vehicle thoroughly. "Got one, he announced, almost at the same time Al said the same thing. "In the right wheel well, and another attached to the muffler. Someone wanted to know where we were going." Bending slightly, Clark hefted the car up to shoulder height and held it there. "Want to grab 'em?"

Ducking underneath Dick grabbed the tracking devices and then, catching a nearby alley cat, planted the bugs on the cat for a little added insurance. "Guess we should be thankful that it was just tracking devices and not bombs. Apparently someone's become interested in our activities enough to try and track us. I'm not sure whether to be flattered or annoyed."

Privately Dick was fuming. Only Luthor would be ballsey enough to lure someone like Harley to Metropolis. At least it had only been Harley. If the Joker had come along for the ride, Luthor would have been so far up shit creek it wouldn't have been funny. And then if he survived the laughing menace he'd have to deal with not only Nightwing but Batman and Robin. If Batman and Robin got here in time, that is.

The Joker had killed Jason and had paralyzed Barbara as well as shot him in the shoulder. Dick had a grudge against the white faced freak that was almost as large as Batman's and if anyone, anyone deliberately courted the crown prince of mayhem then Nightwing would stop at nothing to bring them both down. End of story.

"We'd better get out of here before any reporters find us. Last thing we need is an interview," Nightwing continued gruffly, climbing into the Nightbird and starting the engine. "And the bastard had to have it so that we'd be interrupted just when I was getting licked clean too," Dick groused.

"Don't you mean 'the bitch'?" Clark asked, settling into his seat and closing the door behind him. "Not that I'm any happier about it then you are. I'd just gotten you where I wanted you."

"No, I meant the bastard," Dick replied. "It was too easy, Clark. It was a set up and somebody other than Harley was pulling the strings. Oh, she went along with it, no doubt, probably because she didn't realize that I was in town now. She was much too surprised to see me for her to have known that Nightwing was here.

"I mean why Luthor's - it's only a middle of the road department store. Yeah it sells some real jewelry and furs and shit but it's not the big-ticket stuff Harley normally goes for, or the zany crap she tries to get for her boss. It was... a sideshow comedy for christ's sake!"

Clark sighed, not wanting to admit to himself what Dick was driving at, but knowing he had to for both of their sakes. "You think Lex is behind this, that he's trying to smoke you - both of us - out."

"I'm not saying he is, Clark, but we need to look at the facts and not let my disgust of the man or your... emotions get in the way," Dick replied.

It was the closest he'd ever come to saying that he knew Clark still had strong feelings for his first love and it was as close as he'd ever get. He understood how a person could have a past and so far he'd been lucky to not have his around to taunt Clark. But Kori was out there somewhere and who knew if she'd ever decide to come back to Earth or not. She hadn't expected him to wait for her but she hadn't exactly said it was over either, that had been Dick's decision.

Which meant he had no room to judge and could only be there for Clark in whatever way he could. Finding out the guy who was your first was quite possibly the scum sucking invertebrate that was causing all the crime sprees around the city and was co-opting big names in the criminal world for help had to be one of the hardest things Clark would ever have to face. Suspecting was one thing - seeing the proof another entirely.

Dick sighed and continued on gently. "If Luthor didn't mastermind it then someone in his 'house' did. Which means that Luthorcorp or Lexcorp have something to hide and we've been stepping on toes enough to get noticed. Which means we need to start getting more careful.

"Whoever set this up was willing to bring in outside help of the worst kind. The fact that it was Harley instead of her boss was a godsend but... if this person is willing to play with that kind of fire we need to be doubly careful. The thought of Joker loose in Metropolis," Nightwing shuddered. It was something he'd definitely rather not contemplate. The thought of Joker and Clark coming face to face ... Dick would move heaven and hell and sell his soul to the devil to prevent such a thing from happening!

"Then we'll have to find a way to stop them before they bring in anyone else." Clark's gut churned at the thought that Lex could be behind this. He knew that the other man was ruthless and single-minded when it came to what he wanted, but to put innocent people in danger?

"Maybe Cyber-Al and Oracle can get together and try to figure out his next move?"

"Good plan, you wanna let 'em know now so they can start working on it and we can bypass the whole debriefing thing and right back to where we left off before we were so rudely interrupted? You know, chocolate and cream and naked debauchery?" Dick purred, glancing over at his lover. "And while we're on the subject do you have any idea how totally hot you are in that outfit? Luthor was checking out your ass. I was ready to rip his spleen out. That's my ass to check out!"

"He was?" Clark winced. "I told you it was too tight... Can I go back to the baggy look I wanted?"

"Hell no! Then I wouldn't be able to ogle you," Dick protested as the Nightbird disappeared into the underground rabbit warren of reservoir tunnels, one of which led to their underground home away from home. "I happen to like being able to check you out at will. It gives me something to look forward too when we're doing our heroic bit," the older man continued with a lascivious smirk.

Clark snorted out a laugh, though he retained his somewhat pensive expression. "Just don't get so distracted by my ass that you fall over the crook or off the side of a building. Spiderman you aren't."

"Maybe not but I've got my very own Nietzchean 'Superman' to protect me, don't I?" Dick grinned at his lover, pulling into the cavern and turning off the car after engaging the security measures.

Snickering, Clark lightly punched Dick's shoulder. "There we go, when I grow up and take an identity of my own, I'm going to call myself that just to drive you nuts!"

"Argh! You wouldn't!" Dick groaned, climbing out of the car. "Al, we're home, anything to report?" Dick called out as he began to strip off his costume on his way to the change room, sending a grin over his shoulder to his lover.

"Nothing in Metropolis, young sir, and I have contacted Oracle and we have begun to put together a profile of events so we can try and predict just who is pulling the strings in this city and what they're next move may be."

"Thanks, Al," Dick yelled out as he peeled off his face mask and began to scrub the residual spirit gum off his face, his costume hanging low around his hips.

Tugging his cowl back off his face and running his hands through his hair, Clark moved up behind Dick, rubbing against him suggestively. "Nothing we can do until they come up with some info... Want to take up where we left off?" As he spoke, Clark slipped a hand inside Dick's costume; kneading his cock and feeling it grow beneath his hand.

"Mmm, I do like your style, Kent," Dick laughed, grinding his ass back against Clark's erection. "My, but that's quite the swelling you have, Mr. Kent. Is there anyway I can help you relieve yourself of that?"

"Sure," Clark purred, nipping Dick's ear and down the side of his neck. "Get out of that costume and get me out of mine so that we can both get upstairs to our bed and get nasty with each other."

"I've got a better idea," Dick replied, growling hungrily. Reapplying his mask, the older man wheeled in the younger man's arms and shoved Clark back onto the exam table, pulling Clark's uniform down as he did so.

"Mr. Kent, I have reason to believe you've been exposed to a toxic substance that has affected your libido. It will cause an inordinate amount of swelling in sensitive places and only repeated and applied pressure can save your life. Will you trust me to save you?"

Swallowing down his laughter and affecting what he hoped was a suitably horrified and innocent expression, he cringed, trying to cover his groin. "Can you save me, Nightwing, oh great and masterful protector of Metropolis?"

Dick nearly lost it, his lips quivered and his throat swallowed convulsively. Looking away until he was sure he had it under control. Turning back to the younger man, he couldn't help but ham it up though. "Fear not, good citizen, I will take this terrible burden upon myself and risk life and limb to keep your outstanding self safe from the corruption of evil doers!"

"I just don't understand how this could have happened!" Clark wailed, catching Dick's hand and holding onto it in desperation. "I was walking home and saw you battling it out with some ruffians in that outfit that hugs your body so tightly, clinging to each curve and muscle so lovingly..." He trailed off, squirming on the table. "And while I was watching, they must have zapped me with some kind of ray gun!"

"Relax, fair citizen, I know how traumatic this must be for you. I'm quite sure you're perfectly straight and never would have imagined me as an object of desire without that ray gun. You were probably on your way home from your girlfriend's house after spending a lovely evening playing canasta with her and her parents and now here you are, faced with only me to save you from your predicament.

"I promise to be gentle with you and I won't do anything other than what is absolutely necessary. But this examination table is so cold and sterile. Come. I will away with you to my lair where there is a handy-dandy bed to deflower... I mean save you in!" Dick hammed up.

"It won't be painful will it?" Clark asked, injecting a tremor into his voice that was supposed to be fear but was, in fact, laughter. "And it won't be... sexual? I'm saving myself for my true love, Mary Sue, and I don't want to do anything until our wedding night."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to relieve the swelling, young man. I'll try and keep your virginity intact, but let's be honest son; if Mary Sue is a virgin she's going to expect you to have some experience in these things to guide her. I can teach you things, show you how to make her feel good and by doing so make this whole process less painful for you. You don't have to worry, though, all us superhero types are gay - why do you think we all wear tights? We know how to make it feel good."

Dick hefted the younger man up off the exam table and carried him towards the bed, trying to keep his face straight as he continued to shovel the shit wide and deep. This was too funny for words. But it had become a competition of sorts as to who could say the most outrageous thing, who could keep a straight face the longest.

Unable to restrain a squeak of shock, Clark wrapped his arms around Dick's neck. "But if you're gay, how will you know what makes a woman feel good? I don't think she's built like we are." Feigning curiosity and trying not to snicker, Clark ran a hand down Dick's arm and squeezed his bicep. "Wow, you must work out a lot."

"I have to stay in top shape to keep evil-doers at bay, don't you know!" Dick boasted, flexing his muscles under Clark's touch. "And that's because I'm one of those odd superheroes who like boys and girls equally. I like hard cocks and soft, squishy breasts equally. But don't worry, I promise to take good care of you," the older man grinned, dropping Clark onto the bed and following him down.

"But first, if we don't relieve you of this swelling it could spread to your brain and kill you," Dick continued as his tongue darted out to lap at the weeping tip of Clark's erection before sucking it into the warm haven of his mouth.

"Oh, I don't think you shouuuuuld..." Clark managed a passable attempt at stopping Dick before arching his back, squirming as his boyfriend teased the head of his erection. "Oh my... you do know how to... do that. Mary Sue said it was disgusting and that she'd never do - God!"

"Then Mary Sue is a fucking idiot," Nightwing replied, removing his mouth momentarily as he looked up at his lover through his mask, a hungry smile spreading across his mouth. "You taste delicious!" That said, Nightwing dove back down, this time swallowing the helpless 'citizen' to the root so that his mouth and throat were full of Clark's cock.

Moaning around the shaft buried deep in his throat, Nightwing began to suckle, and his tongue lashing whatever parts it could reach. One of his hands stroked Clark's hip, calming him supposedly but instead stroking the erogenous zone his lover had right at the join of hip and groin. Nightwing's other hand began to pet and roll his lover's balls, smirking around Clark's shaft at the noise the younger man was starting to make.

Retaining only enough control so that he didn't buck his lover across the lair, Clark whined, whipping his head back and forth against the soft sheets, his fingers threading through Dick's black hair to cradle his skull.

"Who? Oh, God, who are you?" he gasped, trying to stay in his appointed role but finding it more difficult by the second as Dick was sucking his brains out of his cock.

Nightwing couldn't be bothered to answer; he simply continued to suck on his lover, a hand leaving to scrabble across the mattress in order to reach the bedside table without looking for it. Finding it at last, the crime fighter dragged it back to where he could maneuver better.

Continuing to suck on the younger man and stroke his erogenous spot, Nightwing deftly popped the lid of the squeeze tube and managed to get some lube on his index and second fingers. Sliding the now greased fingers along Clark's crease the older man quickly inserted them in Clark's tight pucker, searching for and finding Clark's prostate with unerring accuracy.

Giving a wordless howl, Clark levered himself up off the bed and remained floating there a foot above the sheets as he came, pumping gouts of semen down Dick's throat. When he recovered slightly, he dropped back to the bed, trying to dredge up a shocked look, but doubting that it looked anything other than satisfied. "You said you wouldn't..." He gasped when Dick curved his fingers over his prostate again. "How can I ever go back to what I thought before now that I know this?"

"You can't," Nightwing chuckled evilly as he withdrew his fingers and shucked off the rest of his costume. Using the hand slick with lubricant he quickly greased his cock and, spreading Clark's thighs wide, pierced the younger man with his cock.

"I'm the one who infected you because I wanted you to be my hot little wonderslut sidekick," the older man continued with a comically evil laugh. "You're mine now, my pretty boy, all mine. If you don't get butt fucked on a regular basis you will die a horribly excruciating death and you'll never ever be able to get it up when you look at Mary Sue or any other woman. I've brought you over to the gay side!"

"Nooooooooo!" Clark shrieked, feigning horror before breaking into laughter even as he wrapped his legs around Dick's waist, arching up under his weight. "You are so fucking crazy," he laughed in between licks to Dick's mouth and bites at his lower lip. "And I wouldn't want you any other way. Wonderslut sidekick..." He snickered before catching his breath when Dick's next thrust raked over his prostate.

Snickering, Dick continued to pound his lover at a lazy pace, enjoying the laughter as much as the lovemaking. "Just call me fruitcake," Dick grinned, leaning down to kiss Clark hungrily. "My little wonderslut."

"Great, Fruitcake and the Wonderslut; sounds like a bad porn movie!" Still laughing, Clark ran his hands down Dick's back to cup his ass, pulling him in even deeper at his next thrust.

Moaning, Dick sped up his thrusts, turning his mouth so that he could nibble and bite at Clark's collarbone. "Well at least we'll have a career to fall back on if we rid the world of evil while we're still young and buff," he groaned as he increased the pace of his thrusting hips even more. One last, desperate lunge into Clark and Dick was pouring his seed into his lover's body, Clark's name a whispered prayer on his lips as he slumped forward, knowing his lover would catch and cradle his spent body. "I adore you, Kansas."

"Same here, Dick," Clark murmured, stroking his hands over his lover's back, soothing and gentling him as they lay twined together. "Can't imagine my world without you, and I never want to have to." He lifted his head enough to lick at the older man's ear. "I'm addicted to you."

"See, my evil dastardly infection worked!" the older man chuckled, raising his head enough to peel off his mask and tossing it onto the night table. "You're my helpless love slave forever... you know, I kinda like the sound of that," Dick continued as he eased out of Clark and rolled onto his side next to the younger man, his skin damp with their exertions and the air around them smelling like sex.

Rolling to his side as well, Clark rubbed his thumb over Dick's swollen lower lip. "Helpless, eh? Just how are you going to manage that one?"

"Too bad those meteorite chunks hurt you so much, I kinda like the idea of making you like a mere mortal long enough for me to play with you a bit," Dick grinned before he sucked the digit into his mouth and fellated it hungrily.

"You can play with me any time you want, baby." Clark pulled his finger back, running it over Dick's lips and leaving them shiny before leaning in to lick at them.

"Mmmm, sounds like fun," Dick grinned as he sat up, stretching languorously, feeling his vertebrae and neck crack as he arched and rolled his body into various contortions. "But then again, anything we do together sounds like fun.

"You know, that chocolate sauce is still waiting for us upstairs. I vote that we head up, get a shower and start all over again, what do you think?" Dick leered at his lover.

Unable to keep his conscience quiet, Clark snuck a quick look at the clock on the main console. "Works for me," he murmured, sitting up as well and rolling off the bed to land neatly on his feet. "And we've got time, because perfect grades or not, you're not skipping classes tomorrow, got it?"

"Yes, daddy," Dick smirked as he slid off the bed and out of Clark's reach. "You know you could be a 'daddy' if you wanted to. You may be young but you've definitely got a dommy streak," the older man continued to tease as he backed away as quickly as possible while keeping one eye on where he was going and one eye on Clark.

"Why do I think the terms 'daddy' and 'pushy bottom boy' are mutually exclusive?" Shaking his hair back off his forehead, Clark allowed Dick to lead him until he pounced, pressing his lover up against the elevator door and kissing him senseless.

"The world's a stage, babe, and everyone's a player. Just because you're a pushy bottom boy one day doesn't mean you can't be a dommy daddy the next," Dick replied when his mouth was freed and his brains had unscrambled enough to form a coherent thought. "Although I prefer plainly perfect Clark Kent nine times out of ten. So... shower now?"

"Shower, then get messy, then another shower in case I miss anything," Clark murmured, walking them into the elevator and reaching back to hit the button.

"Sounds like a fantastic plan to me. Hopefully this time we won't get interrupted before you add the cream sauce to the chocolate," Dick sniggered as he wound his arms around Clark's neck and began to feast on the younger man's adam's apple, all the while grinding into Clark's erogenous zone on his hip just to make things interesting.

"Take the phone off the hook," Clark groaned, wrapping his hands under Dick's ass and lifting him so that their mouths were perfectly aligned. This accomplished, he kissed Dick until the doors opened, then carried him toward their bedroom, sprawling Dick out on the bed before covering him and licking from his neck to his navel.

Dick laughed breathlessly, squirming under the onslaught of Clark's tongue. "So does this mean we're going for a sponge bath over a shower? Not that I'm complaining, I simply want to be clear on things."

"Why waste time showering when we're just going to get messy again?" Clark asked, working his way back up to Dick's chest and lapping at one taut nipple. Reaching for the jar of chocolate they'd discarded earlier, he opened it, dipped a finger in, and once again began painting on his lover, this time on his front.

Shivering as the cool chocolate hit hot flesh, Dick arched up into the touch, gasping. "I always said you were a smart man but you're a freakin' genius, babe!"

Before clutching at the bed sheets, Dick had the sense to knock the phone of the hook, throw a pillow over it, thereby ensuring that they managed to get to finish this time, and then tried to stay as still as possible while Clark covered him with chocolate hieroglyphics. It was when the truly twisted mind of his lover led Clark into painting Dick's inner thighs that the older man could no longer stay still. Damn he was sensitive there! The inner thigh and that damned spot in the small of his back tended to send him through the roof, and if his copiously leaking cock was any indication, they'd be having a skylight over their bed in a matter of moments.

"Clark, god, plea... don't... stop, ah fuck, Clark," Dick moaned, transferring his hands to the headboard and holding on for dear life as his head tossed and turned and his whole body shivered and undulated under the younger man's wicked touch.

"I'm not gonna stop," Clark purred, purposefully misunderstanding Dick's pleas and leaning in to lick at the tender skin of his lover's inner thigh only to feel him writhe beneath him. "Not until you come screaming my name anyway."

Nuzzling the chocolate covered skin, he bit at it, careful not to break the skin, but hard enough that he could hear and feel Dick's response. His own cock was as hard as steel, and all Clark wanted to do was rub himself all over his lover, but he could wait, it wouldn't be long now.

Dick's whole body was quivering as he fought to hold on for just a little longer but Clark was determined to drive him insane. Each lap of the younger man's tongue produced a moan, each bite a gasp and each new portion of his skin that was cleaned drove Dick that much crazier. "Clark, god, babe, you're... ah sweet jes... killing me!"

Throwing his head back, his body arched and strung taut, Dick felt Clark close his mouth over the older man's erection mere seconds before he came, sending creamy ropes of his seed gouting down Clark's throat. Babbling in tongues, Dick's body slowly relaxed into the mattress, spent and sated, his mind an exhausted pile of goo.

"So good, so fucking good," Clark groaned, lunging up Dick's body to take his mouth, his hips arching hard into the cradle of the older man's pelvis as he came as well, unbearably turned on by the sight, sound and taste of Dick's orgasm.

Breathing heavily, he lifted his head to look down at his lover, chuckling slightly at his still blessed-out expression. "Chocolate and cream, my favorite."

"Wha...?" Dick moaned as he tried to gather his thoughts back up. The big gorgeous man in his life was talking to him. Clark, that's it. Clark was talking to him. Something about favorites and food.

Shaking off the cobwebs, the older man nuzzled his way around Clark's throat, suckling and mouthing at the hot flesh, his hands stroking lazily down the bigger man's spine. "Mmmm, 'snice. Love you," Dick mumbled around a mouthful of flesh. "Sleep now?"

Chuckling quietly, Clark tried to roll off of Dick to clean them both off, but found himself held tightly in his lover's grip. "Anything you want, Fruitcake, but don't complain to me when we stick to each other in the morning."

"You can fly us into the shower so we can unstick ourselves," Dick replied drowsily, too tired to even set the alarm for the morning. Besides, Clark could be at school in under 5 minutes from getting up to walking through the door of his first class so he could afford to sleep in once in a while.

"So, it's settled," Dick grinned as he sat in front of the communications console in the cave. "Batgirl's gonna fly in from Gotham and keep an eye out on Metropolis while we're gone while having an all expenses paid shopping trip ala Bruce. She'll stay in the condo and Metropolis gets babysat and shopped clean while we invade New York," Dick grinned at Garth.

"Bruce and Tim said they'd give her a hand if she's in over her head but I'm not expecting anything major. It's not like the 'haven at all, so she should be fine," Dick continued, a grin spreading across his face.

"Were you able to make the reservation for me?" Dick continued, his smile turning softer as he thought of what he was arranging for Clark and his first official vacation together. Okay so he was going a little overboard but he was besotted.

"There will be a limo waiting at the airport and you've got a room on the top floor of the Plaza. You've also got box seats for Rent and I've made reservations for you at The Firebird for a late dinner after the show gets out. The rest is up to you my friend," Garth grinned as he shook his head. "I've never seen you spend so much money at once. It must be love indeed if you want champagne and strawberries delivered to your room instead of beer and pizza."

"Fuck you, fish face!" Dick snarled playfully. "We'll see you when we get to the Tower. I'll call ahead to let you know that we're on our way."

"Richard..." Garth began, his face troubled as he tried to figure out how to tell his friend or if he should tell him at all that Koriand'r was back on Earth and looking forward to her reunion with her lost love. Seeing the joy in Dick's face as he planned his little get away with his lover had Garth swallowing his words. There would be time enough for that later. "Enjoy yourself and try to not break any noise laws. I would hate to have to bail you and Clark out of jail before I get a chance to meet your love face to face."

"Whatever!" Dick retorted. "I'm looking forward to seeing my godson and your sexy wife. You I can live without, though. Catch you on the waves, guppie!"

Dick shut down the signal just as the elevator door slid open. "Hey you sexy beast you! Come looking for me?"

"Nah, I just wanted to talk to Al," Clark chuckled, moving around behind Dick's chair and wrapping his arms around the other man's chest, tilting his head up for a long, lingering kiss. "Anything going on that I need to know about?"

As he spoke, he glanced up at the console, automatically checking for red alert lights or any other sign of troubles in Metropolis. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, so he relaxed and nuzzled the top of Dick's head. "You know, we need to pack if we're getting out of here tomorrow, plus get batteries and memory cards for the cam-corder, and..." He broke off, grinning, "God, I sound like a hick on his first trip to the big city. Pathetic."

"Cute," Dick countered, swinging around in the chair and pulling Clark onto his lap. "Very cute. I picked up film and tapes today on the way home, packing won't take long at all, you're not gonna need much for in the hotel room, after all," the older man continued, waggling his eyebrows, "and just remember to pack a suit for the play and dinner. Other than that jeans and khakis and only one flannel shirt. I expect to see those henleys I bought you and a club outfit. As much as I love you in flannel, New York just ain't a flannel kinda town."

"Yes, Dad," Clark sighed, getting comfortable on Dick's lap and tracing a finger over the neckline of the older man's shirt. "What about whips, chains and tazers? From what I've seen, New York is that kind of town."

He snickered, and leaned in to nibble on Dick's lower lip. "Should we pick up something for Garth's son? I mean, what kind of godfather would you be if you didn't spoil the kid?"

"Already got it covered, babe. Tomorrow we raid FAO Schwartz since it's right across the street from the hotel," Dick grinned. "You're gonna love it and you can help me buy the little prince a ton of stuff just to drive his parents nuts.

"And whips and chains sound great for some of the clubs we could go to but you are not getting a tazer anywhere near this fabulous body of mine! Besides why do we need those? We're crime fighters after all," the older man chortled before capturing Clark's mouth.

"Are you trying to distract me, Mr. Kent?" he asked after long moments, a raven eyebrow arched in question. "Or are you just trying to have your wicked way with me and thereby procrastinate on the packing?"

"Which answer works better?" Clark murmured, bowing his head to nip his way along Dick's neck before settling at the hollow of his throat. "Since you're picking out my clothes so I don't embarrass you, I don't have to worry about packing, I can just stay here and play."

"Clark," Dick paused long moments, holding Clark's head still to make sure he could look his lover in the eyes. "You don't embarrass me. Ever! Got that? Nothing you wear, no way you act, absolutely nothing embarrasses me about you. You're so close to perfect it isn't funny. Don't you ever think that you could make me anything but proud and awed that I have you for my lover, okay?"

Though tempted to duck his head and look away, Clark kept still, his eyes locked on Dick's. "I know, I didn't mean it that way, it's just... Old habit from hearing about how I dress, I guess. Sorry." He rested his forehead against Dick's and sighed. "Didn't mean to ruin the mood. Want to go pack now?"

"You didn't ruin the mood, I just wanted to make it perfectly clear. I know who gave you that complex but that's not me. I mean you should have seen some of my fashion faux pas over the years. Hell, let's start with the Robin costume and go from there!" Dick laughed self deprecatingly. "And then there was the red polka dot shirt with the royal blue baggy pants..."

Clark gave a half-hearted smile that grew slowly more genuine as he listened to the older man talk. "Maybe I shouldn't let you dress me after all," he commented. "Maybe I should be dressing you!"

"Yeah, well, I got better as I got older, thank god," Dick grinned, not mentioning that the polka dots were only a year before he moved to Bludhaven. "So, did you really want to pack now or pack later and play now?"

In between kisses, Clark thought that choice over. "Pack now, play later, that way we don't have to worry about deadlines or rushing around tomorrow morning. Work for you?"

"Then you might want to get off my lap before I forget we need to go to upstairs and I just spear you right now and watch you ride me in this chair," Dick purred, nuzzling at Clark's throat hungrily. "God you smell good, I adore the way you smell. And look. And moan. And writhe. And touch me. And love me..."

Clark whimpered. "Forget packing, do it!" As he spoke, he went into a flurry of motion, stripping them both as much as possible and squirming against Dick, his full erection trapped between their bodies.

Dick chuckled. "Gee, that got an interesting reaction." Urging Clark to stand up, Dick positioned his cock at the opening to his lover's body. "Whenever you're ready babe, just sink down," the older man continued, licking his lips hungrily.

"That would be any time I see you," Clark rasped, resting his hands on Dick's shoulders and lowering himself, feeling the other man's erection split him open as it worked deeper and deeper into him. "God! Feel so big this way," he gasped, his head lolling back onto his shoulders as he continued the slow descent, feeling is body adjust to accept the thick length within him.

"Size queen," Dick teased breathlessly, his hands resting lightly on Clark's hips to help steady the younger man's descent. "But if the size fits and all that..."

"And yours does," Clark gasped, rocking his hips and tightening his ass around Dick's cock until he felt the other man buck up within him. "And what pushy bottom slut isn't a size queen at heart?"

Dick choked on the laughter that threatened to bubble up. Only Clark would say something like that. "Babe, your sense of humor borders on the absurd," the older man gasped as his lover's internal muscles began to palpitate around him. "God, Clark, that.. Jesus, do that again and I'm gonna go off like a freakin' roman candle!"

Wrapping a hand around the younger man's erection and the other around Clark's neck, Dick pulled his lover down for a ravaging kiss even as he began to pump his cock in time to the motion of Clark's hips.

Groaning at the intense pleasure, Clark only moved faster, arching up into Dick's hand before rocking back down onto his cock, his own muscles continuing to squeeze around the older man's erection with each move. He was so close himself that he could taste it; this was going to be hard and hot and fast and, most of all, wonderful.

Sliding the hand that had been cupping the back of Clark's neck down his lover's spine, Dick let his fingers brush against both his cock and the younger man's distended anus. Tracing lightly around the enlarged pucker, Dick smirked at the noises that began to emerge from Clark's throat. As the moans got louder, Dick edged his index finger inside, fucking the younger man with both his cock and the digit pressed against it.

Any capacity Clark had left for speech vanished at that moment, and he howled, grabbing onto the back of Dick's chair, crushing the metal beneath his fingers as his orgasm crashed over him. Howling, he curved forward, feeling his come splash against his chest as he quaked, riding Dick's erection and finger through every spasm.

Clark's over the top reaction had Dick following behind even before the younger man's spasms began to massage his cock. Bellowing out Clark's name, Dick sagged forward onto Clark's shoulder. Damn, that was hot, but what else was new with Clark? "Okay, melted brain, exhausted body and crushed chair. All in all a damn good way to get rid of the pre-trip jitters, don't you think?"

"Hmm?" Clark mumbled, more then happy to curl up against Dick and stay that way for a year or two, until the older man started squirming under him. "Sorry," he mumbled, slowly getting to his feet. "No squashing the love machine."

"The love machine?" Dick sputtered. "Tell me you did not say that!"

"Would you rather I called you my hunka hunka burning love?"

"ARGH!" Knowing that Clark's ass was invulnerable, Dick had no qualms dumping the younger man off his lap and onto the cold metal floor. "Bad, Kansas, very very bad!" Dick groaned clambering to his feet. "Just for that I oughta leave you here!"

"Running off to New York City without me? Where has the romance gone?" Clark sighed, sprawling out on the floor, looking as comfortable as if he was lying on a pillow-top bed.

"You killed it when you started quoting the King," Dick retorted climbing to his feet. "And right after sex, no less! That's just wrong, Kent. You hear me, wrong!"

"I see, you can dish it out, but you can't take it. I'm disappointed in you, Dick, really I am." Shaking his head, Clark got to his feet and headed for the elevator, stooping to grab his clothes on the way.

"Excuse me?! I may say a lot of things but I never quote Elvis!" Dick retorted following his lover to the elevator. "And what do you mean I can dish it but not take it? Clark? Clark?! Hey, wait up."

"So, are you ever telling me where we're staying or what we're doing?" Clark stared out the taxi's window as the driver threaded his way through downtown Manhattan. He'd gotten used to living in Metropolis, but compared to this, it was small potatoes.

"Nope," Dick grinned. "I want to see your reaction. I'm so tempted to blindfold you until we get into the room and you see the view but knowing you, you'd peek. Nope, you're just going to just have to wait and see," the older man continued. "Look, Central Park. We're almost there."

"But where is there?" Clark laughed, not caring if he looked like the consummate tourist as he watched the joggers, roller bladers and businessmen all jostling for space on the walkways.

"Here is there," Dick laughed as the taxi pulled up in front of the Plaza. The doorman opened the taxi door for the two men. Porters hurried out to unload the trunk of the taxi and Dick guided Clark inside. "Reservation for Richard Grayson."

"Ah yes Mr. Grayson. Our presidential suite is ready for you. If you would follow the porter?" "Presidential..." Holy hell. Shaking his head, Clark followed Dick and the porter to the private elevator, accepting his keycard and pocketing it on the ride to the top floor. Once the employee had left, he turned in a circle, whistling softly. "Gosh and gollee, Mr. Grayson, this shore is a fine lookin' place!"

"Ham!" Dick laughed as he took the suitcases into the bedroom and picked up the phone for the house dry-cleaning service. "Yes I have two suits I'd like pressed for seven pm. Presidential Suite, Grayson-Kent. Yes, thank you."

"There's a balcony, you get a killer view of Central Park and Fifth Avenue. We're about a block away from Tiffany's, FAO Schwartz is right across the street and we're a nice walk away from Times Square," Dick grinned. "So what do you think?"

"If you think that bringing me to a posh hotel and wining and dining me will get you in my pants..." Clark stalked toward Dick, tackling him and rolling them both onto the couch nearby, "you're right! Though really, all you have to do is look at me and you've got that."

"I wanted to spoil you on our first vacation together, that's all," Dick admitted, blushing slightly. "After all the shit I've put you through in the last little while, I thought it was the least I could do. Besides, it's kinda like a mini-honeymoon, well I'd like to think it is."

"All what shit?" Clark looked at Dick quizzically. "I love you, Grayson, that means taking the not so great with the great, not that anything we've been through has been un-great." Well, there was the whole Lady Vic thing, but he wasn't going to obsess over that. "And I like that idea though I thought the place to go for honeymoons was Hawaii?"

"Hawaii? Not! New Orleans maybe, if we're sticking to the US otherwise... France, Greece, Spain, and Portugal... any of those I think. And that's for when school's out," Dick grinned. "Hell, if we go to the Netherlands we can actually get married first - it's legal there," Dick mused out loud. "Clark, have you ever had the desire to go to Holland?"

"What's wrong with Hawaii?" Clark laughed. "Black sand beaches, towering surf, lots of sun and fruity drinks, sounds great to me!"

He tilted his head to the side at Dick's question. "I've never thought about it, but with you, it sounds perfect."

Dick ducked his head, a blush staining his cheeks. "Well I was thinking that we could maybe, after school is over for the term, we could possibly take some time off of crime fighting and... get married?"

"Mr. Grayson, is that a proposal?" Seeing Dick's blush deepen, Clark beamed and pulled the older man into his arms. "It had better be, because I'm saying yes to it. I want everything with you, yesterday, today and tomorrow. Forever, in fact."

"God, I wish I could give you forever," Dick sighed, straddling Clark's lap and kissing him hungrily. "And you'd better say yes because I'm never giving you up. I love you, I adore you, I never want to live without you and I never thought you'd say yes... babe, you've made me the happiest man in the world. I can't wait to tell everyone at the Tower that I'm getting married. And this time we're gonna elope so that no crazy possessed ex-team mate can flash fry the minister, okay?"

"Whatever you... You never thought I'd say yes? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well it's only been a few months and your dad's not that crazy about me and I'm like ... you know and..." Dick stuttered, knowing he was putting his foot in it but not able to stop himself. He was just so overwhelmed by what he felt for the younger man and the fact that Clark said yes and... "God I love you!"

"I love you too," Clark said, studying Dick carefully. "And my dad will always be that way, but it doesn't matter. What does matter is what you mean when you say you're like... Like what?"

Dick sighed. "He thinks I'm like Luthor. Rich, spoiled, corrupting you..."

"You aren't anything like that, Dick. You know it and I know it and Dad will figure it out soon, I promise." He pulled the older man to him for a hug. "Besides, who's to say I'm not corrupting you?"

"God I hope you are!" Dick laughed. "I always wanted to be a spring bride," the older man continued, fluttering his eyelashes outrageously. "And I'll have daffodils for my bouquet."

Clark looked pole-axed. "Ummm, on second thought..."

Laughing so hard he fell off his lover's lap onto the couch and then rolled onto the floor so that he lay spread eagled on the rug, Dick continued to laugh until tears ran down his cheeks and he couldn't breathe anymore. "God... your face, you looked, guppy with bulging eyes and flapping lips... oh my god!"

Clark sighed melodramatically. "Look what happens. You agree to marry them, and they turn into laughing hyenas." He sighed and shook his head. "Where's the justice in the world?"

Finding the hem of Clark's jeans, Dick tugged at them until the younger man slid off the couch and onto the floor next to him. Pushing him down, Dick rolled on top of his lover, his face more open and honest then it had been since he first understood what a fine line he walked between the law and the criminals he sought to put away. Love shone in his electric blue eyes along with devotion and the promise of forever. "I love you, Clark Jerome Kent. Thank you for saying yes."

"Thank you for asking me - for wanting to ask me," Clark answered, smiling into Dick's eyes and closing his eyes, relishing the closeness. "This is - with you it's everything I've ever wanted. A lover, a partner, a friend. Someone who knows everything about me and doesn't hide from it, but pushes me to find out exactly who I'm supposed to be."

"Someone who pisses you off on a regular basis and gets himself nearly killed at least once a month or beaten beyond belief? Someone who'd rather die than hurt you emotionally because he knows your emotions are as fragile as his human body? Someone with hair?" Dick tacked on at the end, trying to cause a bit of a chuckle.

Clark's fetish with his hair had become a sort of running joke. The one time he'd suggested cutting it back to the length he'd had it in the BPD Clark had pulled out all the stops - puppy dog eyes, quivering lower lip, crocodile tears - everything he could to get Dick to change his mind. And Dick, being a total Clark-wuss hadn't been able to do it so his hair was now shoulder length and wavy enough to make some of the women he knew jealous.

The knock on the door had him groaning in disbelief though. "Suits - need to get the suits pressed for tonight. Damn and I was just getting comfortable."

Pushing himself up off of Clark, the older man untucked his oxford shirt to hide his erection and answered the door. "Give me two minutes. I got distracted by the vie..." the suits were passed over his shoulder by a grinning Clark. Superspeed struck again. "Thanks babe," he grinned at the younger man, pressing a kiss to the cleft in Clark's chin.

"We need the suits by fice at the latest and just bill it to the room. Thanks," Dick continued to the laundry service person.

"So, that done, wanna to go FAO and buy out the store before we get distracted again?"

What Clark really wanted was to drag Dick back into the bedroom and try out the huge bed he'd glimpsed, but they'd have plenty of time for that later. "Sounds good. And if you're a good boy and don't whine while we're there, I'll buy you a present too," he promised.

"Brat!" Dick snarled, pinching Clark's ass in retaliation. "Ruin my fun, why don't ya? And here I was hoping to dance on the floor piano or have a water gun fight in the store or something," the older man continued, laughing as he pushed his lover out the door and down the hall. "Let's go!"

Snickering into his palm, Clark watched the expression on the sales clerk's face change from boredom to shock when Dick dumped his armload of toys onto the counter. "There's more where that came from," he laughed, nodding at the stuffed animals that filled his arms, then grinning at Dick. "Is the kid going to be able to move after you fill his room with these?"

"Hey, it's not my problem!" Dick laughed as he motioned to two more staff members with arms full of toys and games. "Besides, I'm his godfather, I'm supposed to spoil Cer! And then run away and hide so that his parents can't hurt me," the grin just got wider and wider with each word.

"I'd like all of this delivered to the Titan Tower, Liberty Island, and addressed to Master Cerdian with love from his godfather. That ought to do it, don't you think?"

Clark shook his head, trying to look sober, but feeling his grin appearing. "And when Garth shoots lightning bolts or whatever he throws at you do I get to deflect them?"

"That's why they're being delivered today and we're not going to be there for two more days," Dick smirked, gleefully paying for it all. "Except these." Separating a rather gaudy stuffed guppy fish, and a sleek stuffed dolphin from the pile. "These I want deliver myself. Clark meet Garth and Dolphin," Dick laughed as he threw first the guppy then the dolphin at his lover. "Every child should have a stuffed representation of their parents, don't you think?

"So, this will be delivered today, correct?"

"Within the hour sir, everyone knows where Liberty Island is and would love a chance to visit it. The delivery staff will be scrabbling to be the one to go."

Dick laughed and thanked the sales clerk, tugging Clark to the door. One last stop before going back to the hotel to get ready for tonight. He'd just asked Clark to marry him after all, and for that there needed to be something to prove that Clark was his fiance, a ring, a bracelet, something. Something from Tiffany & Co.

Crossing the street, Dick tugged his lover into the well-fortified store and over to an attendant. "I'd like to see your selection of men's rings, please. It's an engagement present."

"Dick - I - you don't need..." Seeing the determined expression in the older man's eyes as well as the hint of hurt, Clark shut up. "Nothing gaudy, got it?"

"Got it," Dick replied, beaming as the attendant came back with a tray of rings. "And no asking how much it costs, got it? I think I can afford it," the older man continued. "Between the trust fund, the stocks, the bonds, the circus, the inheritance and the investments I think it's safe to say I'm covered. For once I get to spoil you without you saying no."

Looking from Dick to the rings and back again, Clark nodded, knowing there was no way he was putting up a fight on this. "Yes sir, Mr. Grayson, sir!" he murmured, sliding his arm around Dick's waist and pulling him closer so that they could both study the rings at once. He wished he could afford one for his lover as well, but his budget was just too limited... he'd come up with something, though.

Picking up a band that swirled with bands of various colors, Clark raised his eyebrows. "I didn't realize there were so many colors of gold."

"As many colors as you can imagine, I would think," Dick replied as he took the ring from Clark's hand and placed it on his right ring finger. He and Clark would know what it meant but there was no sense putting Clark through undue hardships. New York, San Francisco and a handful of other cities aside, Homophobia was still pretty rampant in the USA. "Perfect fit, do you like it?"

"It's nice, but... I don't know... a little gaudy for me? Simple man who wears flannel here, remember?" he asked, setting the ring back on the tray and looking at the others. "Maybe something similar in design, but with less colors?"

Finding a simple white, yellow and rose gold pattern done in a wave, Dick smiled. Simple, elegant, not gaudy and it would go good with flannel. "This?"

"Now this I like. Want to do the honors?" Clark could feel himself blushing, but he kept all his attention on Dick, feeling that this was one of the defining moments in their relationship.

Bringing his lover's hand up to his lips, Dick kissed Clark's right ring finger first and then slipped the ring on to it and then kissed the ring. "Perfect, just like you. I love you, Clark," Dick smiled up at the younger man. "I still can't believe you said yes, but I'm going to make sure to keep you forever now that you have!"

Sliding his free hand up behind Dick's neck to pull him in closer, Clark gently kissed his lips. "Then I'm just going to have to keep telling you yes until you believe it and the fact that I'm going to be around forever, at least."

"Smart man," Dick grinned then looked at his watch. "He'll be wearing the ring out of the store so I'd like to pay for it now, if you don't mind." As the attendant went off to get the floor manager to approve the sale, the older man continued.

"Just enough time to head back to the hotel for some mind blowing sex before the suits arrive and we have to get ready for the play. You know, I've been on a lot of trips with Bruce and by myself and with others but this... this is the best trip by far. The next one will be better, though. It may not mean anything here in the States but the next one... we're getting married.

"And since you're gonna want your parents there maybe they can come on the whole trip with us and have a second honeymoon while we have our first? Separate hotels and everything but... I'd like to do that for them if they'll let me. Your mom can buy as many tulip bulbs as she likes and bring them back with her, we'll use the Wayne jet. Your mom's tulips can boast a lineage straight from the Royal Dutch Botanical gardens or some such thing, then."

"Dick..." Clark stared helplessly at his lover both thrilled and terrified by the plans. "How about we see how everyone takes the news first, okay?" He didn't want to dampen the older man's enthusiasm, but just didn't know what his father's reaction was going to be.

"But no matter what, you and I are taking a trip this summer, got it?" He leaned in close and whispered into Dick's ear. "Even if I have to fly you there myself."

"Babe, I know your dad and I will never be friends. We're always going to have our differences. Which is why I'm going to talk to your mother about the trip first," the older man grinned. "If there was one thing I learned during my stay in Smallville, it was that Martha Kent ruled the roost. Although Air Kent does sound like fun too." Turning his attention back to the clerk who had returned, Dick finished his transaction in record time.

"So, wanna see how fast we can get to the hotel and naked on the bed?"

Pushing thoughts of his father from his mind for now, Clark smiled. "Sounds like an excellent idea to me, especially since we're that much closer to you making an honest man of me."

"More like you're making an honest man of me," Dick grinned as they left the store hand in hand. God, he loved New York for this, if nothing else. No second glances, no backward glares, no whispers except for the odd whisper of envy wondering why someone couldn't find something like that in their life. Grinning as he heard someone say that Clark was the finest thing since they invented the all day sucker, Dick pulled his lover across the street and towards the hotel, taking long enough to shout over his shoulder that the all day sucker was claimed for life.

"Dick!" Clark laughed, amazed by the nonchalance people were treating them with here. It was weird, but great, and he was laughing by the time they hit the lobby and got into the elevator, using his key to access their floor. "So I'm an all day sucker, am I?" he asked, shifting his hold of the bag with the two stuffed animals in it to one hand so that he could cup Dick's groin with the other. "Then what's this?"

"A gob stopper?" Dick smirked, waiting for the reaction.

"More like a Lik-a-Stick," Clark snorted, wishing there wasn't a chance of the elevator stopping or he'd prove it.

"And here I thought I was more of a jaw breaker myself," Dick deadpanned as the elevator door pinged open to allow them into the short hall to the door of the room. "However, if you've got the candy coating by all means feel free to use me as your personal 'dipper'."

"Ass," Clark laughed, waiting until they'd gotten inside to smack Dick on the butt. "Though I bet that somewhere in this city we can find some candy flavored lube so you can do all the 'dipping' you want."

Dick shuddered. "No thank you! Gross! Just for that, no nookie for you until we get home tonight," the older man challenged, as he took the packages from Clark and dumped them in the closet next to their suitcases. "God, flavored lubes are nasty, I can't believe you'd actually suggest I use one, ugh!"

"What?" Clark practically shrieked out the word. "No... And just when have you used flavored lube? And with who?"

Grinning, Dick shut the door and looked coyly over his shoulder. "Did you say something Clark?" and took off at full run for the bedroom.

Catching Dick was no challenge at all, and Clark blurred into motion, stopping with his arms spread, blocking the bedroom door. "Spill, Grayson. Now."

"You'll never get anything out of me, copper. You can torture me all you want but I'll never reveal my lube supplier!" Dick snerked as he ran light fingers down Clark's sides and danced around the squirming younger man, heading for the bathroom next.

"You're going to do time, Grayson, you know it! You can't escape me forever!" Dropping onto the bed and holding his sides as he laughed, Clark hung his head over the side, watching Dick upside down.

"You'll never catch me, copper, never!" the older man chuckled, slamming the washroom door shut and stripping out of his clothes fast before opening the door again and taking a flying tumble to the bed. "Okay I give up, beat me with your 'nightstick' please!"

"Beat you with my... Is that something from one of those weird pornos that Tim borrowed from you?"

"Borrowed from... that rat! How did he find my tape collection!" Dick growled "I'm gonna kill him. Little perv, raiding the good stuff just to learn about how to do it with a guy," the older man huffed indignantly.

"Don't shoot me, babe, but I gave them to him. It was that or sit through another session of 'do you really do that' questions."

Sighing, Dick shook his head. "You could have given him the cheap stuff, but my Officer Striker tapes? It's a good thing I love you or I'd have to hurt you! And hello? Naked fiance here? Aren't you going to play with me?"

"You said no nookie before dinner, I was just trying to follow your instructions like a loving husband-to-be should do..."

Dick snorted. "Bullshit, but fine, I guess I'll just have to take care of this myself..." grinning evilly, Dick spread his legs wider and began to stroke his erection with firm motions of his wrist, eyes focused on Clark who was focused on Dick masturbating himself in front of his lover. Teasing himself, Dick scraped his nails along the underside of his erection, making the shaft dance and bob, then he stroked his balls before fisting his cock again. "Earth to Clark, hey, spaceboy, see something you like?"

Intently focused on the engorged flesh rising and falling within Dick's palm, Clark couldn't speak. Twisting over onto his belly, he crawled forward, sniffing the air, the scent of his lover's arousal making his own cock throb against his belly.

Reaching Dick's side, Clark nuzzled the hollow of his hip, breathing deeply and shuddering and the scent before moving over more, lapping at the head of Dick's cock when it appeared over his hand again, groaning as the musky flavor exploded over his tongue.

"Clark," Dick sighed, hands scrabbling to coax the younger man's hips around so that he too could return the favor and taste his lover again. "Please, need ... need that all day sucker of yours!" Dick's eyes sparkled and danced as he said the last.

Groaning out a laugh, Clark squirmed out of his pants, ignoring his shirt for now because he really didn't want to lose the taste of Dick's cock. "Keep it up and I might rethink this whole thing," he murmured, raking his teeth up the underside of the older man's cock and gasping when he felt Dick's mouth close around his.

"Don't, don't you dare!" Dick growled before latching onto his lover's cock and inhaling as much of it as he could in one gulp. The rest he worked down his throat slowly, relaxing his throat muscles as he felt Clark slide deeper and deeper. Head bobbing up and down, Dick began to hum around Clark's flesh, enjoying the way it made his lover squirm and, if he didn't have his mouth stuffed at the moment, make those interesting noises in the back of his throat.

Clark shuddered and pulled back long enough to wet his own finger, then pressed it between Dick's cheeks, pushing inside as he took the other man's cock into his mouth again, suckling hungrily on it. His own erection felt like it was going to explode at any second, and he concentrated on his lover, trying to draw out the moment a bit longer.

The feel of Clark's finger brushing over his prostate was more than the older man could bear and with a cut-off cry thanks to the erection filling his mouth, Dick came hard, sending spurt after spurt down Clark's throat. Gobbling and swallowing at the cock in his mouth, Dick's own orgasm made him voracious to taste his lover and he doubled his efforts to drive Clark to his own orgasm.

Letting Dick's now softening shaft fall from his lips, Clark moaned, pillowing his head against his lover's thigh, his hips working frantically as he fucked Dick's mouth. Orgasm rolled over him like an avalanche, and he froze, collapsing against Dick once he was spent, whimpering slightly because his lover kept suckling at his cock.

Only when Clark's hand nudged at his head did Dick finally release Clark's erection. Laying his head on the younger man's thigh, he looked down their bodies to his ... fiancé... and grinned. "You taste better than any candy flavored lube out there. No way I'd spoil that taste," he purred. "God, I could use a nap now, you wore me out, Kent."

Shifting to crawl around so that he was lying beside Dick, Clark sighed, burrowing his head into the crook of the older man's neck. "Do we have time before we have to go out to dinner?"

Glancing at the clock, Dick did some fast calculations. "We have an hour before the suits arrive. Should be enough time for a power nap." Wrapping his arms around Clark, he pulled the younger man in close and reached for the blanket at the foot of the bed with a toe, pulling it up far enough to snag it with a free hand to cover them to the waist. The last thing he did before falling asleep was set the alarm on his watch.

Dick's hand slipped into Clark's as they left The Firebird after an authentic Russian meal, and he pointed them in the direction of Times Square and Broadway. One of the great things about Manhattan was that everything was within walking distance. "So... other than the caviar what did you think?" he chuckled.

He'd managed to coax a mouthful of the sevruga caviar he enjoyed whenever he ate at the Firebird into his lover only to watch Clark's face scrunch up and him reach for the shot of vodka Dick had placed next to his plate, downing it quickly and then sputtering when the icy heat kicked in. It had taken all of the years of training to keep himself from bursting out in laughter. Clark had been so damned adorable, though.

"If I fall asleep during the play, kick me, okay?" Clark groaned. He was used to eating a lot, but this food had been rich and heavy, and, yes, good, but now he was feeling loggy. Top it off with the slight buzz he had from the vodka he'd consumed during the meal and, well, he was more ready for a nap then watching a play.

"No falling asleep allowed," Dick laughed, their hands swinging slightly between them as they walked. "Look down there, that's the Rockefeller Center skating rink. It always looks bigger on TV, doesn't it? And there's the Rockefeller Center. It's gorgeous in the winter right before Christmas when there's been a fresh snowfall and the tree is up and lit and people are skating," Dick grinned. "They film Saturday Night Live in there, we could try and get tickets if you want?"

Continuing to play tour guide, Dick pointed out various other buildings, Grand Central Station, The Radio City Music Hall, The Empire State Building... which made him remember that he wanted to go to ground zero and pay his respects. Tomorrow they could get some flowers and take a cab there but tonight... tonight he wanted magic.

Dusk was just falling when they got to the most famous corner of Manhattan and looked down at the twinkling lights of Times Square with all its bustle and activity. "So?"

"This has been one of the best nights of my life," Clark sighed, leaning in to rest his forehead against Dick's. "The best is the one I met you, but this is close." He smiled, and ran his thumb over the ring that now adorned his finger. "I love you so much, Dick. I only hope you know how much."

"Yeah," Dick grinned, letting go of Clark's hand to wrap his arms around the younger man's waist for a fierce hug. "Believe it or not I do know, because that's how much I love you. I can't imagine my life without you in it now and I sometimes have to force myself to remember the person I was before you.

"Looking back at him, I'm very glad I met you. I don't think I like that other Dick very much. He was following in his mentor's footsteps just a little too closely. You saved me from that - from myself. My hero," the older man fluttered his eyelashes outrageously to lighten the mood but the words remained true. Clark had saved him from becoming a mirror image of Bruce.

"C'mon. We're gonna be late for the play if we keep doing this schmoopy stuff," Dick laughed, releasing his lover and, taking Clark's hand again, tugging him forward into he chaos that was Times Square.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, dressed except for his jacket and shoes, Clark watched Dick pace the length of the suite's bedroom. "You know, Fruitcake, shouldn't I be the one who's nervous about this? I mean, you worked with these people for a long time, they're some of your best friends and..." he grimaced. "I think I just got myself nervous."

"Hunh? Oh I'm not nervous... not really. Okay I'm nervous. There's been... well Garth, Wally and Donna are the only ones I've really kept in constant touch with. The others, Panthra, Roy, Gar, Team West, Team LA... god there are so many. The ones that left, the ones that died, the ones that changed... it's going to be everyone who wanted to come for the reunion, Clark. Everyone was invited from around the globe and beyond. If they had the time and the desire they could come. I guess... it's gonna be weird, you know?" Dick sighed, sitting down next to Clark on the bed and automatically reaching for his lover's hand.

"Do you mind if we... I know I said we'd stay at the Tower but I don't know if I want to anymore. I kinda like the idea of being able to run away and come back here and just be Clark and Dick for those few hours of in between times," Dick admitted quietly. "I guess I'm more nervous than I thought I'd be."

"I'll protect you," Clark promised, leaning in to kiss Dick's cheek. "Save you from all the big, bad superheroes." Sliding his arm around Dick's waist, he drew the older man closer. "And no I don't mind not staying there. I mean, we live with it all the time at our place, not having to think about out other duties for a few days is sort of nice."

"Thanks, babe," Dick replied with a heartfelt sigh. "Well I guess we ought to get going. Garth, Dolphin and Cerdian are going to swim over and meet us at the harbor and Donna's bringing the boat across." Getting up off the bed and grabbing the presents for his godson, Dick held out a hand to his lover. "Shall we?"

Eyeing the waters of the Hudson River, Clark couldn't help but give a shudder. "Is it really safe for anyone to swim in that?" he asked, his lip curling in disgust. Someone really should do something about all the garbage people dumped everywhere. "And is that Donna in the boat heading this way? It looks like someone's with her..."

"Could be why Garth and Dolphin aren't here - or there could have been an emergency. I don't remember the river being this disgusting the last time I was..." Dick's words came to a halt as the boat drew up to the dock and he finally got a look at who was in the boat with Donna.

"Holy shit, Wally, what the hell have you done to your hair? " the older man gaped as he stared at the red lightning bolt motif dyed into Wally's blond hair with something akin to horrified fascination. Shaking it off, Dick turned to the boat's driver. "Hi wondrous one, how've things been?" he continued with a grin, jumping into the boat to hug his two best friends in the world.

"Wally, Donna I'd like you to meet the guy that's made an honest man out of me," Dick continued with a grin as he looked up at Clark. "My fiance, Clark Kent."

"Wha... fiance, whoa when did this happen, short pants?" Wally sputtered, his hand extending to Clark even as the words registered. "And when did they pass legislation?"

"Just because the government doesn't recognize it, doesn't mean we don't," Clark commented, grasping and shaking the other man's hand before turning to the Amazon princess. "It's great to finally get to meet you, Donna, Dick's told me a lot about you."

She smiled, and tightened her fingers around his. "All good I hope, since that's all we've heard about you, Clark. It seems you've really straightened out our friend Richard here."

"Nahh, I told him what a spoiled little princess you are," Dick teased only to get himself cuffed. "Owww, hey watch it!"

Knowing that Clark had heretofore been a land lover his entire life on Earth, Dick held out a hand to help his lover into the boat as he continued to talk to his friends. "Holland, end of school year. You're both invited but formal invitations will come out once we've talked to the Batclan and Clark's family. Oh and Donna? Clark kinda needs some flying lessons if you've got some free time... he had this alien growing spurt thing and instead of going kersplat he did a Dumbo," Dick smiled as Clark joined him in the boat, bussing his lover's chin playfully.

Clark caught the tail end of the startled glance Donna and Wally shared, and he sighed. "Well, it was better doing that then falling a couple of hundred feet to the ground. Dick would have kicked my ass from one side of Metropolis to the other if that had happened."

Donna chuckled. "I think I can squeeze in some flight lessons, plus some of the others can work with you if you want to spar with someone more on your strength level - no insult intended, Dick."

Dick grimaced but had to accept the truth somewhat gracefully. "None taken, I know I'm just your poor, average, weak human male and most of you meta-types would wipe the floor with me. Luckily for me ole' Wally here may be fast but he's still a squishy human type so I can spar with him. Oh and Roy too if he's here."

"Squishy human? Hey, I resemble that remark!!" Wally laughed. "But I'm still holding you to that race, Mr. Kent. It's not every day I get the chance to go full out against someone."

Still snickering at Dick's description of the three 'regular' humans, Clark nodded. "Oh yeah, I'm in. Are we betting anything on this?" He caught Dick by the hand and pulled him against his side. "And you are not squishy, Fruitcake, not where it matters."

Biting her lip to keep from snickering, Donna turned back toward the boat. "Where's your luggage, boys?"

"Back at the hotel," Dick replied, blushing as he caught the look in the Amazon's eyes. He knew it only too well and when she looked at him and mouthed 'fruitcake' he knew he was in for some major ribbing. "We're here for a vacation and let's face it, if something comes up you know damn well Clark and I are gonna volunteer to help. This way we can have fun, come and visit and not feel guilty about going back to the hotel at the end of the day."

"Wimps!" Wally laughed, only to have it trail off into a gurgle when Clark lifted him by the back of the neck and held him out over the murky water.

"You were saying?" he asked blithely.

Dick guffawed at the look on his friend's face as Wally took in not only Clark's strength and the ease at which he was being held, but his precarious position and the water below him. "Oh god. Nothing, I was saying nothing. Donna, help! Dick? Somebody, anybody?"

"Now who's the wimp, West?" Donna sniggered as she reversed the engine and began to slowly move them out to the center of the harbor. "I like your style, Clark Kent," the Amazon continued with a grin. "And I like your taste, Dick. It keeps getting better. Nice to see that you're smart enough to realize this one's a keeper."

"Had that on figured out the day I met him, princess," Dick smiled softly as he watched Clark haul Wally back into the boat.

"Always knew you were the smartest one of us, short pants. Wally may have the speed but you've got the brains."

"Hey, I've got the looks too!" Wally protested, dusting himself off and glaring at his three companions. "Now it's personal, Kent. You're going to eat my dust."

"I'm terrified," Clark laughed. "Hold me, Dick!" Pretending to cower away from the now snickering Flash, Clark hid his face against Dick's shoulder.

"And he calls me fruitcake? Oy, anyone tell you that you're a diva, Kent?" Dick laughed. "And to answer your earlier question, damn straight money is gonna be laid. I can't wait to watch you smoke my old pal over there!"

"Oh yeah? Big talk, rich boy, put your money with your mouth is," Wally snorted.

"Fine. A 'C' note that Clark kicks your lily white ass."

"You are on, my brother!"

"Boys! Hundred dollar limit... other people may want to bet," Donna interfered.

"Awwwh, D, I was gonna take him for a grand," Wally whined.

"Wallace West..." Donna growled while Dick sat next to Clark and sniggered. "I know where you sleep, remember that!"

The gulp was audible. "Yes m'am," Wally replied meekly, shooting Dick a dirty look. "You're still going down, Grayson."

"Only on me," Clark murmured, blushing bright red when he realized he'd said it aloud and that now they all were staring at him.

Dick stared at the younger man, eyes nearly bugging out and then grinned sappily. "I adore you, Clark Kent, really I do."

"Ewwww, way too much information, man! I so did not need that visual," Wally shuddered only to be backhanded by Donna.

"I think it's sweet. They're in love. It's the way it should be."

"Yeah." Recovering somewhat from his embarrassment, Clark tried to push his hair back out of his face. "You guys let him go, I'm keeping him."

"You've got yourself a smart one there, Dick," Donna smiled.

"What's all this talk about brains? I thought chicks went for looks!" Wally moaned, dodging another cuff from Donna.

The rest of the boat ride passed with the same idle banter, an instant camaraderie developing between Clark and two of the three people in the Titans whom he considered best friend. He couldn't wait to see Garth's reaction to Clark and vice versa.

"So where were Garth, Dolphin and Cer? I thought they were going to meet us in Manhattan?" Dick asked in one of the lulls of the conversation as they approached Liberty Island. "Was it the water?"

"No," Donna replied, looking towards the island she called home. "We had an unexpected last minute arrival for the reunion and Garth wanted to be the one to greet them," the Amazon continued vaguely. "Looks like the beach volleyball game has started. Do you play, Clark?

"Only the plain type, in gym." He focused on the people leaping for the small white ball, and grinned. "Wasn't quite as... energetic as that looks."

"Lets just hope no one ends up in the infirmary," Wally chuckled.

"Welcome to Titan volleyball," Dick laughed as he waved to the group gathered. "Where you try to pummel your opponent to death before the ball gives way under the abuse and explodes in your face."

"It's not that bad, Donna protested as she maneuvered the boat into its slip. "Close though."

Dick snorted and casually brought Clark's hand up to his lips for an easy kiss before answering. "There's a reason why only 'meta' types play, princess. We squishy folk walk away with too many bruises when we play."

Clark frowned. "And you get enough of those on your own. I think I'll pass this time, Donna. I'd rather get the tour from my man here right now."

Wally smirked. "Hrmmm, maybe I'll pop some popcorn and head to the camera consoles. Might get a good show."

"What are you talking about, West?" Dick asked, confused.

Donna shot the other Titan one of her dirtiest looks, on that promised swift and immediate retribution. "He's being an ass, what else is new?" The Amazon replied blithely vowing to keep Wally as far away from the surveillance room as possible. This was going to be painful enough without spectators.

"Garth's up at the house, Dick. Why don't you and Clark head up and say hi. Oh and be prepared to duck. Cerdian loved all the presents you bought him. Dolphin laughed and Garth... growled."

"Told you that you'd be in trouble," Clark snickered. "And I think we need to introduce Wally and Tim, they both have an unhealthy interest in our sex life!"

Wally grinned, though he stayed well out of Donna's reach. "Just glad that Dickie's getting some is all."

"They already know each other, why do you think they're both so depraved?" Dick groaned.

The walk up to the Titan Tower was an easy one and Dick took the time to point out little points of interest or spots that had some memory attached to them, willing to share it all with Clark. His retina scan was still on file so they had no problem getting in and Dick led them straight to the living area, wanting Clark to meet his godson.

"Hey, guppy, I'm baaa..." Dick's greeting stuttered to a halt as he realized that Garth was not alone in the living room. "Oh my god, Kori?" Clark blinked, staring at the tall, golden-skinned, green-eyed woman who was smiling warmly at Dick and holding her hands out to him. Kori? As in the-woman-Dick-almost-married Kori? Without noticing he did so, he tightened his hold on Dick's hand and stepped closer, chin going up as he publicly staked his claim on the man she'd so foolishly let get away.

"Richard, I have missed you, my love," Kori gushed as she started towards the man she'd loved and then left only to be brought up short by the scowling man who towered over Dick possessively, like a storm waiting to become a hurricane.

From his seat on the couch, Garth cleared his throat almost silently and signaled to Dick with a nod of his head that he'd be in the other room should they need them. Dick barely acknowledged Garth, his attention riveted on the woman he'd nearly married. What the hell was she doing back?

"Kori, I..." Dick felt the solid presence of Clark behind him, hovering protectively, possessively, and his mind and heart kick started again. "Kori, this is quite the surprise, but I'm glad you made it. You can be the third person I've told. I'm getting married," the older man informed the woman who had once meant what he had thought was everything to him until he'd met Clark.

"I'd like you to meet my fiancé, Clark Kent."

"But... but he's a man!"

"Yes, he is," Dick shot a smile over his shoulder to the man in question. "I swing both ways, Kori, you've always know that, and Clark... is everything," the older man continued simply.

Taking a deep breath, Clark held out his free hand, purposefully not letting go of Dick as he did so. "Pleased to meet you. I - Dick's told me a lot about you."

"I... excuse me, please," Kori begged, her voice cracking with emotion as she turned and ran out of the room.

"Well that was one hell of a surprise," Dick sighed, sagging against Clark's weight. "Somehow I don't think she took that very well at all. Damn. I really didn't want to hurt her but I couldn't let her think she had a chance either when she doesn't. Why the hell didn't anyone warn me she was coming back?"

"Or warn her that you were bringing someone," Clark sighed, wondering just what kind of reunion Kori had planned with Dick.

"She didn't want us to," Donna said quietly as she slipped through the door to face the two men, Garth by her side. "She made us swear to keep it a secret and she didn't want to hear anything about anything."

Dick sighed. "Did she honestly expect me to still be pining over her?" he asked his two friends. "How many times did she leave me, break up with me and walk out on me? Did she expect me to wait for her forever?"

Resting his head on Clark's shoulder, Dick sought and found his lover's hand, needing the comfort of close contact. "It wouldn't have worked anyway," the older man continued. "Kori wasn't who I was meant to be with. I know that now. Nothing in my life has ever felt as right as loving Clark does. I doubt anything will ever again.

"Donna, would you go talk to her? I don't think I'm her favorite person right now but if she's built up that much... illusion... she's going to need a friend."

"Still looking out for everyone no matter what they do to you or expect of you," Donna replied with a smile. "That's my short pants." Slipping out the door, the Amazonian headed off in search of her friend.

"So, the way I figure it, I've been traumatized enough today so you and Dol can't beat me up for spoiling my godson," Dick smiled tiredly at his oldest friend. This was definitely not how he had expected today to go. "Where are they, by the way?"

"Waiting upstairs in our family rooms for you. I had a feeling you and your mate would need a place to retreat too for a while after meeting up with Kori. Come, Cer is dying to thank his godfather and his godfather's mate for his presents," Garth replied with a gentle smile. "And consider this an abstention - you're still going to get it, redbreast!"

"You'll have to go through me to get him," Clark smiled, trying to put Kori out of his head for the moment so that he could help cheer Dick up as well. "Or let him baby sit for a night so that you and Dolphin can have some quiet time."

Garth sized Clark up and surrendered gracefully. "Although I am stronger than most land dwellers and a mage as well, I think I shall bow to your fierce protection of your mate, Clark Kent. And may I say I am honored to meet the one who has tamed my blood brother's restless heart. Welcome to our family."

Dick smiled, wrapping his arm around Clark's waist. The acceptance, the love, was overwhelming. "Thanks, Guppy."

"You have no idea how much I appreciate that, Garth," Clark answered, clasping the Atlantean's hand before wrapping his arm around Dick once again. "And I should be thanking you for taking such good care of him when he needed it as well as making it a bit less stressful for me when he goes out on his own."

"Well at least he no longer actively seeks his own death," Garth replied, smiling, timing the release of that bombshell perfectly.

"Tempest!"

"Excuse me?" Clark asked, looking at Garth, then back over his shoulder at Dick. "Care to explain?"

"No."

"Well consider, Clark. He lived in Bludhaven working for a corrupt police department and patrolled as Nightwing without any immediate back up other than those days Robin or I or another friend decided to visit him. He invariably waited until it was almost too late to ask for assistance and when he did..." Garth trailed off.

"Tempest. Shut up. Now!" Dick growled, embarrassed at how correct the other man was. He had been like that but that was no longer the way it was. It hadn't been that way since Clark and it was past now.

"Oh." Clark looked at Dick again, then smiled. "That's over now, he's got permanent backup who can get to him faster then anyone."

"Not faster then me," Wally muttered from the doorway where he'd been lounging.

"I'm not planning on losing that bet, Wally. You've never seen Clark run and I've seen you both run," Dick grinned back at the other man. "You're just a sore loser is all."

"Poppa, poppa!"

A wide grin broke out on Dick' face and he was on his knees in next to no time, his arms stretched wide. "Cerdian! Seas and skies but you've gotten big since the last time I saw you!" Picking up the toddler, Dick spun him around in a huge circle before tucking Cer into his arms.

"Cer, I want you to meet someone very important to me. This is Clark and he's the man I'm going to marry and live with the way your mommy and daddy live together."

"Are you going to have babies like mommy and daddy had me?" Cer asked Clark, taking in the big man who was his poppa's mate. "And does that make you my momma?"

"Ummm..." Clark looked around at Dick's former teammates, his eyes wide. "Help?" When the only answer he got was laughter, he grinned gamely and shook his head. "Maybe one day your poppa and I will have kids, but not the way your folks had you." He saw the toddler's confusion at this, and tried again. "Only girls can be mommas, so maybe I can be another poppa to you?"

Cerdian considered it for long moments. "I suppose you can be... but I'll have to call you Poppa Clark so I don't get you confused with Poppa, okay?"

Dick wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes and bussed the young Atlantean's head. "Cerdian, my boy, you are so going to swim rings around your parents when you get old enough."

"Isn't that the truth?" the elfin blonde woman known only as Dolphin grinned from where she stood leaning against a door jamb watching the men in her life. "It's time to say goodbye, Cerdian. Time for a nap."

"But Mommy!"

"Poppa and Poppa Clark will be here when you wake up, baby. I promise. Now time to sleep."

After Dolphin and her son disappeared, Dick grinned. "Momma?"

"You have something to say, short pants?"

Wally snickered, then glowered at Garth when he got an elbow in the side for his trouble.

"Nope, absolutely nothing," Dick grinned, flipping Wally the finger as he tugged on his lover's ear playfully. "I was just thinking how cute you'd look in a frilly apron is all. And shut the fuck up, Wally, or we'll start talking about just what the hell you were thinking of when you shaved lightning bolts into your head."

"They look cool," Wally growled. "And watch it or I'll shave a big Tweety bird on you before you even notice it."

Clark cocked an eyebrow at the other man, and then grinned in challenge. "Go ahead and try it, I dare you."

"Okay, enough, both of you. Clark, go race him or something. Burn off some of his energy and yours while us adults talk," Dick grinned - shooing them away.

"Adults?" Both Clark and Wally glared at Dick, turning their gazes on Garth when he laughed as well.

"Once around the island?" Clark asked, grinning

"Hell," Wally answered, "Once around the city!"

"Awh, c'mon, make it a real challenge boys," Dick grinned. "Make it Maine and back," he dared, egging them both on, and hoping it would tire out Wally's mouth if nothing else. "Unless, of course, neither of you think you can handle it."

Garth coughed to hide his snigger and Donna, who'd just rejoined them hid her grin behind her hand. "I see I've missed the challenge being issued, but at least I'll get to see the race. From the comfort of the living room. We can tap into Telsat to monitor them," she offered happily.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Dick agreed, waiting to see what his lover had to say on the subject and then having to throw in one last comment. "C'mon, Clark, win one for the fruitcake."

"I'll win to save you from getting Tweety carved in your hair," Clark laughed, following Wally outside. "Ready when you are," he grinned, looking over at the other man.

"One, two..."

"Oh no, Donna called. "You aren't starting it, Wally. I will. On your marks, get set. Go!" The words were barely out of her mouth when both of them were gone, vanishing from sight faster than the eye could follow.

Garth and Donna turned to head inside but Dick remained where he was, waiting. "Aren't you coming to watch?" Donna asked curiously as she realized her old team leader hadn't moved an inch.

"Why bother?" Dick asked with a grin, "they'll be back before we can get the satellite aligned, or Clark will at least."

"You're that sure he'll beat Wally?" Garth asked, leaning against the side of the building, studying his friend.

"I have no doubts at all. He's... a miracle, Garth. The things he can do, they take my breath away. And almost each month he learns or gains some new ability that just keeps astounding me."

"You truly do love him, don't you, Dick?" Kori asked softly from the half shadows where she'd hidden herself. Coming out into the sunlight she examined her greatest love, looking for something, anything that would give her the hope to fight for Dick's affections. There was nothing but old memories and faded friendship. Oh Dick still cared about her, that was obvious, but he cared about all he once loved, all he once called friend.

In the crime fighter's eyes she could see no spark of warmth that had once burned for her alone, no passion or tenderness beyond that of friendship. She had well and truly been relegated to his past and this stranger he'd brought with him was his future.

"He's everything, Kori. If... if something were to happen to him I wouldn't live a day past him. I can't. He's my existence. Corny, sappy and disgusting as it sounds, I was given a new life the day I met Clark. He's my life."

Kori fell silent and wrapped her arms around her waist in an effort not to reach for the man who had once been hers before she'd thrown him away so carelessly and callously.

"I'd say I was sorry, Kor, but I can't. I'll never be sorry I fell in love with Clark. But I am sorry you were hurt again. I never meant for that to happen," Dick continued gently. "And I'll always be your friend."

"Oh my god, is that them?" Donna interrupted from where she stood next to Garth a short distance away, trying to give the ex-lover's some privacy, but even this was something that she could not fathom.

Half-drunk on speed and the feeling of freedom, Clark pushed himself to the limit, going faster then he ever had before. The race was neck and neck, with neither himself nor Wally gaining any kind of advantage.

If anything, the return trip was faster then the one up, and the pair of them raced over mountains and rivers, throwing up a wake as they crossed a lake, heading for their final destination.

"Told you," Dick smirked hearing the sonic roar that reminded him of jet planes going into mach speed approaching them. "Hope Wally's got the money to pay off his bet!" the crimefighter laughed as he began counting down the seconds until the two speedsters appeared.

Rather then running through Manhattan, they curved around the coast, coming in at the island from the east. A boat appeared right ahead of them, and Clark leapt over it, willing himself back to the ground when the arc could have easily changed to flight. The island was fast approaching, and he looked over at Wally, grinning, and dug deep into his reserves for a final burst of speed, one that left even the so-called fastest man on Earth in his dust.

Dick was across the yard and hugging his lover fiercely, guiding Clark to the ground even as Wally came to a halt a short distance away. "I knew you could do it, babe!" Dick crowed, "I knew it!" Kissing the crown of Clark's head, he handed the younger man a bottle of water and then a second as Clark downed the first.

"West," Dick called over to the heavily breathing speed demon. "Think fast!" And then tossed him the last bottle of water. "Oh and that money you owe me? Donate to the 9-11 fund or something. It's not like I need it."

"Oh, God... oh God..." Clark collapsed on the beach after dumping the other bottle of water over his head. "That was... Oh God!" He was beaming, and managed to turn onto his side to look over at Wally. "That was so cool! Whenever you want to do it again..."

The older man chuckled and tossed his bottle of water towards Clark. "Any time, bro." He wrapped an arm around Donna's shoulders and leaned in close to her ear. "I let the kid win, you know."

"Sure you did, Wally," Donna chuckled under her breath as she pecked his cheek. "You did good, by the way. So, barbeque on the beach and then some tunes, some roasting of marshmallows and some stories around the bonfire, what do you say boys?"

Dick grinned even as he peeled his now saturated shirt off. "Sounds good, princess! Clark, did you really have to get me too? I already had my shower this morning, if you remember."

"You look better without it," Clark laughed, taking off his own soaked shirt as well, catching sight of Kori standing at the fringes of the group and feeling a pang of sympathy for her. "Did you get a chance to talk to her yet?" he asked quietly.

"We talked. She's... processing it all I think but she knows that I'm yours and there's no chance of that ever changing," Dick replied in kind. Pulling Clark onto his lap, Dick nuzzled at his lover's throat, licking the odd rivulet of water that still traced its way down Clark's neck. "I had to let her know that I belonged to you now, body and soul. Which is true, I do."

"Damn right," Clark murmured, unable to stop the shiver that ran through him as Dick lapped at his throat. "I mean, I feel bad for her, but then I don't if you know what I mean." Not sure if he knew himself, Clark shrugged, and tipped Dick into his lap for a long kiss.

"So, Donna mentioned marshmallows. Think they'll have the stuff to make s'mores?"

"Only if I get to lick them off of you," Dick purred, sucking a patch of Clark's skin into his mouth and suckling strongly on it. In the background Wally gagged and made disgusted noises. Flipping the speedster the bird, Dick turned his attention to ravaging his lover until he needed to come up for air.

"Clark needs to clean up. My old bedrooms still available, isn't it?"

Donna laughed and nodded. "Fresh sheets on the bed, fresh towels in the bathroom," she replied even as she backhanded Wally for yet another string of rude noises. "Shut up West, I've seen what you bring home at times. Clark's cute and polite and a gentleman. We're not going to comment on those creatures you refer to as your dates!"

Laughing, Clark stood, bringing Dick to his feet as well. "Lead on, lover. I hope someone took our change of clothes up there too or I maybe be wandering around in the buff."

"Mmmm, sounds like a plan to me," Dick replied, licking his lips hungrily. "Actually then again, no, I don't want to share that lush bod with anyone." Dragging Clark off, Dick tried not to look at Kori and patently ignored Wally and Garth's laughter, which trailed behind them as he led Clark back into the tower and up to his old rooms.

As soon as the door shut behind him Clark was shoved onto the bed and Dick was straddling his lover, devouring his mouth hungrily in between babbling mindlessly about love and pride and adoration and anything else that came into his mind.

"God, Dick!" Clark moaned, pulling at the older man's clothes, arching up under him, needing to mark and wishing he could be marked, feeling a primal need to prove to prove that his mate was his.

"Fuck me," he gasped. "I want you to fuck me hard and hot and long so that everyone knows what we've been doing up here."

"I think I can do that," the older man growled hungrily, latching onto Clark's throat even he spread his lover's legs wider and opened his jeans, shoving them around his knees. Surging into Clark's body, not even bothering to lube up or take any precaution, Dick slammed into the younger man over and over without respite. "Moan for me, Clark, let them hear you, let them all hear you!"

"Ahhhh! Dick! Yes, like that!" Clark was screaming now, not caring who could hear or why and he grabbed at Dick's arms, his grip leaving red marks behind that would soon turn to bruises.

Powering into his lover, Dick grinned ferally as he continued to pound into the younger man. Biting and licking and nipping at every expanse of flesh that he could find, Dick concentrated on making more strident, sharper and more piercing noises emerge from Clark's throat. His hand wrapped around the younger man's cock and began to strip it in time to his thrusts, wanting to blow Clark's mind and his vocal chords.

Writhing and twisting under Dick's weight like a cork tossed by a stormy sea, Clark whined, each new move arching the pair of them off the bed, each drop pushing Dick even farther into him. "Ohgodohgodhogod," he rasped, throwing his head back and howling when the next stroke hit his prostate dead on and a twist of Dick's wrist sent him over the edge into oblivion.

Feeling super strong muscles clamp down on him as he drove Clark as crazy as he possibly could, Dick howled. His own orgasm was forced from him almost violently as Clark rippled around him. "Sweet jesus!" Collapsing on top of the spent younger man, Dick sucked air hungrily into his depleted lungs, only now feeling the sweat and semen that coated them. "That was... wow!"

"Mind-blowing? Life-altering? Amazing? What every time is with you?" Clark offered groggily, lifting his head enough to give a sloppy grin before collapsing again.

"That's one way of putting it," Dick replied, his voice replete with lazy sation. "And you were fantastic, superb, devastating, gorgeous and awe inspiring. So together we make a pretty unstoppable team. But I knew that from day one."

"Yeah, seeing those bullets bounce off me might have clued you into that fact," Clark chuckled. "Have I mentioned in the last five minutes that I love you more then life, Dick Grayson?"

"I never complain about hearing it, that's for sure," the older man grinned, reaching up to kiss and tongue the cleft in Clark's chin, making love to it as thoroughly as he had just made love to the whole man. Lips trailed down the strong column of throat, lapping away the pooled sweat and tracing the salty rivulets, nipping and teasing where he could. "You taste good, you smell like sex and I could do this for the rest of my life and never grow tired but I can guarantee you'll taste better as a s'more," Dick grinned as he eventually let up on Clark.

"We'd better take a shower first or I'll taste like a salty s'more," Clark chuckled, running his hands in lazy patterns over Dick's back. "Plus you came all this way to visit with your friends, it would be good for you to see them."

Sighing, Dick had to agree. "I know but damn I love spending time with you and in you. I suppose that means it's a good match, hunh?" he grinned. Groaning at the loss, Dick slowly slipped out of his lover's body and knelt up on the bed before sliding off. Holding out his hand, the older man smiled. "Coming?"

"I won't give the obvious answer to that question," Clark chuckled, scooting down the bed to stand beside Dick. "But, yes, I'm ready for that shower and for some food. That run got my appetite going."

"Just the run?" Dick queried with a smirk before sauntering into the bathroom.

"Hey, who wants to sing 99 bottles of beer?" Wally asked only to be booed and hissed and have things thrown at him. The bonfire was roaring, the stars were twinkling and in the distance the Statue of Liberty shone like the beacon of freedom it was.

The food had been delicious and now Dick was sitting between Clark's thighs, his head leaning against his lover's shoulder as he enjoyed the company of old friends. To his right Garth sat with Dolphin between his legs and Cerdian on her lap. To his right were Donna, Wally and Roy while somewhere on the other side of the bonfire, out of his line of sight was Kori. If he had one regret about the day it was the pain he'd caused her but even that wasn't enough to dampen his spirits.

Bringing Clark's ringed hand up to his lips, Dick wasn't aware of the indulgent and amused glances thrown his way from his friends, nor was he aware at just how different he was from the tense, world weary and much darker Dick Grayson that had quit as team leader before heading to Bludhaven.

"You look happy, old friend," Garth finally said, knowing only too well how the right person could bring you contentment such as you had never known before. "Much happier than," glancing at Clark, the sea prince tempered his words, "than when I would visit you in Bludhaven. I think this is truly the first time I have ever seen you content and happy in your own skin."

"I remember saying pretty much the same thing to you after seeing you and Dol together for the first time," Dick grinned. "He still treating you right, mermaid?"

"Oh yes," Dolphin's eyes danced like St. Elmo's fire. "Each day is better than the last and Cerdian is the greatest proof of that. I too am glad to see you so happy dear friend. You must bring your mate to our underwater home one day. Garth's enchantment will protect you both and we can play host and show Clark the wonders of the deep. And your godson can show off his prowess in the water."

Dick chuckled, content for the moment but looking forward to the day that he and Clark would have stories such as that. "Just wait until he's a teenager and then lets hear what you have to say about him showing off his prowess."

Smiling up at the younger man, Dick tugged his head down for a sweet kiss. "So, wanna meet the king of Atlantis and take a tour of the city some day?"

Clark smiled, threading his fingers through Dick's thick hair and kissing him again, this one more lingering then the last. "You did promise to show me the world, didn't you? I'd say that seeing Atlantis is a pretty good place to start."

"I meant it when I said that, but somehow I think that with your new abilities you might be showing me the world," Dick chuckled after he was allowed to breathe on his own again. "But we've got our whole lives for that. Damn that sounds wonderful.

"Oh and before I forget, Garth, Dolphin. If you can make it, Clark and I are getting married in Holland at the end of the school year. We'll let you know when we've got the details hashed out."

"My parents are going to kill us when they find out that half the world knows about this before they did," Clark murmured before smiling and accepting the couple's well-wishes with good grace.

"All right, party time in Amsterdam!" Wally shouted.

"Just count the grooms out," Dick replied. "We'll have other things to do!" Turning slightly in Clark's arms, Dick looked seriously at his lover. "Wanna spend the night in Smallville? We could crash in the barn and surprise your parents in the morning with the announcement."

"I thought we were staying here a couple more days..." Clark shrugged. "We can tell them next weekend if that's okay."

"We can stay a few more days. And you need those flying lessons from Donna too," Dick remembered. "I just won't tell anyone else. Well no one but the batclan. They'll kill me if I don't tell him. The rest can wait until we've taken care of family."

"I knew you were smart as well as drop-dead gorgeous." Clark pulled Dick in for another kiss, his hand sliding down the older man's chest beneath his shirt and splaying over his flat stomach. "Think we can talk some of them into sparring with me too? It might be fun not to have to pull punches."

Dick heaved a fake sigh. "Relegated to the ranks of squishy human again," he bemoaned dramatically. "But I'm sure we can find someone to spar with you. Garth can take more of a beating than your average human thanks to living part time at the bottom of the ocean and I'm sure some of the meta types and maybe even Donna will spar with you. I'd suggest Kori but I really don't want the two of you to kill each other," the older man suggested quietly.

Clark tightened his arm around Dick, wanting to argue the point, but unable to. He knew he'd never try to hurt Kori, but honestly wasn't so sure about her no matter what she said. "I happen to like squishy humans. In fact, some of my favorite people are squishy humans. In fact the man I love is a squishy human, gonna make something of it?"

"Nahh," Dick laughed. "How about we go back to the hotel and you can have your turn and squish me?"

"Grayson! Do you mind, some of us have innocent type ears that don't need to hear that stuff!" Wally wailed, making gagging noises. "I'm happy that you're happy and that you've found the love of your life, yadda yadda, but do you have to share the details?"

"That's why you wanted to go and monitor the feed from Dick's room earlier tonight, right?" Donna laughed, ducking the elbow he tried to get her with, then snickering when Roy hit him from the other side.

"Sounds good to me, looks like it's getting rowdy here," Clark murmured, nipping at Dick's ear.

"I think I'm very glad we decided to stay in the city," Dick groaned, shaking his head. "At least there we'll get some privacy, unlike in this zoo."

Getting to his feet, Dick pulled Clark up after him. "So how about flying lesson number one, you take us home? I trust you to keep me safe."

"Are you serious?" Clark's eyes widened, and his teeth showed whitely against his tan as he beamed. "If I land on the balcony, can you get us inside without triggering any alarms?"

"Or you can land in the middle of Central Park. Only drunks and less than scrupulous people would be in the wooded areas, but yeah I can get us in without triggering any alarms. I just need to grab some tools from upstairs and then we can get out of here," Dick grinned. "And from that killer-watt smile I'd say you liked the idea, hunh?"

"You got it, babe, and forget the trip back upstairs, let's land in the park and clear out the muggers on the way back to the hotel." Standing, Clark pulled Dick as well, and raised his voice to be heard over the partying. "Night everyone, I'm kidnapping Dick for a night of fun and frolic, don't be jealous!"

Grinning, he hoisted his lover into his arms and shot into the sky, hearing the various ribald comments that followed in their wake. "How was that?"

"I'm suitably impressed," Dick laughed, his arms wrapped around Clark's neck as the Manhattan skyline quickly came into view. It seemed vaguely misshaped to eyes used to seeing the WTC and Dick's heart grieved a little at the tragedy and loss of innocence that America had suffered. But they had all survived and grown stronger from it. "God I love this city," the older man breathed, watching it grow closer and closer. "And I love being able to share it with you."

"Would you ever want to come back here?" Clark asked, speeding up a bit so that they wouldn't be noticed by people star-gazing. "To live, I mean."

Gasping at the increased speed and the exhilaration of flying with Clark, Dick thought about the younger man's question for a few seconds. "No, I don't think so," he answered finally. "New York is my past and while I love visiting it doesn't feel like I need to be here anymore. Metropolis needs a hero and until you feel ready I need to be there to fill in and I need to be there after you're ready to pick up the slack. It's where I belong now - with you."

"That's where you belong all the time." As Clark started to descend toward the vast expanse of green that marked Central Park, he caught Dick's mouth in a kiss. "With me; it doesn't matter where, as long as we're together." He touched down in a deserted area and set Dick back on the ground, grinning. "That was a blast."

"Just wait until you've had some time to practice and then you can really show off to me," the older man laughed, taking Clark's hand and moving in the general direction of the hotel. "Hey, maybe we'll be able to catch a horse and buggy driver making their rounds around the park. And we just have to come back here just before Christmas so you can see it done up right and we can do some shopping, what do you think?"

"You're the boss," Clark laughed. "Maybe after I get some practice in, we can join the real mile-high club." He leaned in and nibbled on Dick's ear as he said this.

"Kinky, Kent," Dick gasped as the feel of his lover's mouth shot straight to Dick's cock. "And underhanded. Screw the carriage ride, I want you to ride me!"

Clark grinned. "Well, you did say you wanted me to squish you, so that's what I was planning to do!" He could see their hotel through an opening in the trees, and tugged on Dick's hand. "C'mon, lover, we're almost there!"

Laughing, Dick let Clark tug him forward towards the hotel and imminent squishdom. He proceeded to ignore the looks at their behavior as they walked, well ran, into the hotel and the elevator. Continuing to ignore everyone who got on the elevator with them, Dick plastered himself against Clark's front and tugged his head down for a tonsil-exploring kiss.

Shocked gasps, discreet coughs and outraged murmurs only made him that much bolder and Dick's hands cupped and kneaded Clark's ass shamelessly while he bumped and ground his cock against the younger man's thigh. One by one people either got to their floor or chose to take a different elevator and soon they had the car to themselves.

Remembering last minute to swipe the card to grant them access for their floor, Dick finally broke off the kiss gasping. "If this weren't the Plaza and the elevators didn't have security cameras," the older man threatened, his eyes dark with need and flashing his arousal.

"You'd turn me around against the wall and fuck me?" Clark purred, rubbing his body along Dick's and feeling his need multiply. "Or you'd push me down on my knees and have me suck you off and get you hard again so that you could fuck my ass as well as my face?"

Dick groaned almost painfully and growled low in his throat. "Just keep it up, babe, and see what happens!" he snarled, thanking whatever lucky star he'd been born under that the elevator door dinged open on their floor. Grabbing Clark's hand, Dick hauled the younger man out of the elevator and slammed him in to the wall to devour his mouth hungrily.

When he at last came up for air, Dick began to rub himself against the younger man, putting on his most sluttish smile. In a voice that breathed liquid sex he began to purr softly. "Tonight I'd rather be naked and writhing under you as you stuff that gorgeous cock into my ass and ride me hard. Or maybe you can tie me down and have your wicked way with me. I want to see you butch and dommy and showing me who's the super alien sex god I know and love."

Clark blinked, then a slow smile grew, curving his lips upward into an expression of pure devilishness. "I'm here to take over your planet, little man and I fully intend to torture you for hours until you give me the key to your government's defenses. Do you think you can withstand me?" As he spoke, he flipped them around, trapping Dick between the wall and his body, not allowing him an inch of leeway to move.

"You'll never get anything out of me you evil alien scum! Nothing you can do will make me talk. Nothing!" Dick cried softly, faking the struggle to get away. "You picked the wrong person to torture!"

Catching Dick's face in his hand, Clark turned it so that they were eye-to-eye and slowly licked his way over Dick's mouth, smirking when he felt the other man quiver. "My kind of torture hasn't failed me you, and it won't tonight."

Hefting Dick under his arm, Clark carried him to their door; swiping his keycard through the lock and pulling it open, not at all hindered by his lover's struggles. Once inside, he shut the door behind them and carried Dick to the bedroom, tossing him on the bed and leering down at him. "You'll tell me everything once I'm buried in your sweet ass and you're begging to come."

"Never!" Dick boasted, trying to scramble off the other side of the bed and away from the 'hulking alien behemoth'. "I'd rather die than betray my nation, my world like this! Just wait until the army gets here, they're going to take you to Area 52 and do all sorts of heinous experiments on you!" Sliding off the opposite side of the bed, Dick gauged the distance between him and the bathroom and decided to make a break for it.

Taking off in a blur, Clark stopped in front of the bathroom, blocking the door. "Your army is busy chasing down false UFO sightings, they're never going to get here - or not until it's too late." Catching Dick by the wrists, Clark held him with one hand and ripped the t-shirt from his body, eyeing the strips of cloth, then smiling thinly as he picked the older man back up and tossed him on the bed again.

"How dare you!" Dick sputtered in false indignation, glaring up at the alien until he realized what was in Clark's hands. "Just what do you think you're going to do with those?!" Snatching up a pillow, he tossed it hard at Clark, trying to duck off the other side of the bed as he did so, fighting the urge to laugh at the ridiculousness of this. Now Dick knew how Clark had felt the last time they'd 'played'.

Ducking the pillow with a movement that brought him to the side of the bed before Dick had done more than shift his weight, Clark laughed aloud. "How dare I? I'm going to rule your world, compared to that, toying with you is nothing." Catching Dick's right wrist, he twisted the cloth around it and the brass bed frame, taking care that the knots weren't too tight.

Straddling the struggling man's body, Clark grinned down at him, licking the side of his face again and laughing when he felt blows to his back and side. "So you like it rough, eh? Fine with me, but you'll still be begging to tell me your secrets either way." Securing Dick's left wrist to the bed as well, Clark sat back on his haunches, studying his trapped 'prey'.

"Alien freak, you think just because your cock is in my ass I'll talk?! News flash Flesh Gorgon, I'm gay, I always take it up the ass!" Dick spat, trying desperately to keep a straight face as he said that.

Clark bit his lip to keep from breaking into hysterical laughter and tried to look menacing. "You'll talk," he promised, catching the waistband of Dick's jeans in his hands and tearing them in two as well, before removing his briefs the same way. "You'll talk if you want to come before you die of needing to."

"Oh puh-lease, no one has ever died of blue balls!" Dick snorted. "You really need to get with the program Space Toast. It's going to take more than that to make me talk!"

"That's what you think, pretty boy." Easily spreading Dick's legs with his hands, Clark leaned in to rub his face against his lover's rousing cock. "Very nice. I'm going to enjoy licking at this until you scream."

"Newsflash for you, Mojo Gogoboots, I'm not a lick-a-stick. Besides I've got me a big burly fiance and he'll be back before you know it and then you're gonna be soorrrr-eeee!" Dick smirked, not even attempting to get out of the way of Clark's marauding mouth. "He's gonna take your Decepticon ass and turn it into scrap metal, so there! Fuck Dodger!"

Quirking one eyebrow, Clark looked up at Dick before swiping his tongue up the length of his cock. "If you so-called fiance shows up, I'll fuck him in front of you, then do the same for you in front of him." That said, he began teasing the flared head of Dick's shaft, sucking on it, then probing at the slit with his tongue.

"Bastard, I'd never let you hurt my sweet sugar muffin, I'd die first! He's my farm fresh little buttercup!" Dick whimpered, and moaned as Clark's talented tongue did truly wicked things to him. Trying not to buck up into the warm wet heat of his lover's mouth, Dick instead concentrated on coming up with the most disgustingly sappy pet names he could possibly think of for Clark in order to keep the corniness flowing.

"Well then, you'd better rethink your attitude on giving me what I want, hadn't you?" Clark purred, though his shoulders were shaking with laughter and he refused to look at Dick for fear of cracking up. "Your lover sounds quite luscious, hearing you talk about him is making me hungry for him."

"You leave him alone! No one gets to eat him but me!!" Dick protested vehemently. "My little Cow King isn't for alien consumption!"

"You're the only one who can save him, pretty man." Clark bit down gently at the head of Dick's erection and watched his lover shudder. "I will get what I want."

Dick had nearly swallowed his tongue as the last and worst pun rolled off of it. There was a reason he hated pet names, they were always bad. That one had taken the cake though, and the older man knew that if he tried to come up with another one he'd lose it on the spot. Deciding that he'd better move this particular drama on, he was about to respond when Clark's teeth clamped lightly on his cock, sending Dick through the roof. "Oh God!!" he screamed, head tossed back and back arched up off the bed. It nearly short-circuited his brain!

Feeling his own erection pulse in his now too tight jeans, Clark raked his teeth down the length of Dick's cock, careful not to break the skin but wanting the older man to go wild under him.

Another wordless wail erupted from Dick's throat and he struggled against his bonds, wanting to bury his fingers in the ebony silk that was Clark's hair, holding the younger man's head steady while he fucked his lover's mouth. The sensations kept coming without respite. His 'alien captor' played his body like a fucking savant virtuoso with a violin, knowing instinctively where to touch, how hard and when to draw back before he lost Dick completely. It was maddening, infuriating, and arousing as all hell.

Licking his lips, Clark lifted his head and smiled at Dick, swallowing hard at the look of need etched on his features. "Still not going to tell me, pretty boy?" he rasped.

"Never, you alien scum!" Dick gasped, moaning and trying to thrust up into the wet heat that now hovered teasingly over the tip of his erection. He could feel Clark's lips brush against the head of his cock every time he spoke and his erection bobbed in time with Clark's breathing. It was the most exquisite torture he'd ever felt. "Damn you for doing this to me, a nice law-abiding gay boy who loves his country. Don't you have any conscience at all?"

Clark snickered, hoping it sounded evil, but doubting that it did. "What's a conscience?" Licking his finger, he pressed it between Dick's ass cheeks, teasing the tight hole by running the damp flesh over it.

"No, don't, you can't!" Dick seemingly struggled wildly when in fact he was trying to push Clark's finger inside him. "I promised my fiance, we promised each other that we'd be faithful, monogamous. You can't do this!"

"And you've kept that promise? What a good little boy you are." Biting the inside of his cheeks to keep from laughing, Clark pressed just the tip of his finger inside Dick, enjoying the howl that got him. "You can remain unsullied for you little boyfriend, just tell me what I want to know."

"No, please, don't make me choose between the love of my life and the love of my country," Dick begged melodramatically, his lower lip quivering just slightly and his eyes taking on the sheen of tears. "Please, can't you just leave us alone?"

Leaning in to suckle on the older man's erection, Clark ran his tongue up the turgid length before pulling back and shaking his head. "I can, I just don't want to. You're a hot little human, pretty boy. I wonder if your fiance knows just what he has in you..." He pressed his finger in further, crooking it over Dick's prostate.

Gasping as fireworks danced underneath his eyelids, Dick shimmied erotically on the bed, a low keening noise he was barely aware of erupting from his lips. "No, don't, please, don't, stop!" he mewled, dancing on Clark's finger. "You evil, horrible, alien person you!"

"Hrmmm, your insults are definitely getting less effective, I must be reaching your breaking point." Smirking, Clark shifted to his knees, and pulled Dick's legs to his shoulders, hoisting his ass off the bed so that he could lick at it.

No sound came from Dick's throat as his whole body went tense with arousal from vocal chords to legs hooked over Clark's shoulders. Hands clenched the headboard in a white knuckled grip and his eyes rolled back into his head as his cock jumped. Dick's balls drew up close to his body and he could feel the first faint tremors that preceded orgasm race through him. So close, so fucking close!

Hearing the change in Dick's breathing and feeling the tension in his body, Clark pulled back, grinning. "Going to tell me now?"

"Nooooooooo!" Dick wailed, half in protest half in defiance. "Never! Bastard, you can't do this too me!" the older man danced and writhed on the bed, his biceps bulging as he strained against the hellishly strong fabric of his tee-shirt. "You won't make me talk, you can't do this, I won't let you... Oh god, Clark!" Dick gasped, finally surrendering the game. "Please, god, need you inside me babe, please. Oh jesus, Clark, fuck me, please?"

Grabbing the lube and slicking himself up, Clark slid inside Dick in one speedy motion, moaning throatily as he was surrounded by tight heat. "That's all I wanted to hear," he rasped, reaching between them to stroke the older man's erection as he began to move in and out of his body.

"Clark," Dick moaned hungrily, feeling himself stretched and filled by his mate. "Oh god, so good!" Legs wrapping around his lover's waist, feet resting on Clark's ass Dick began to use muscles developed for the trapeze and honed in crime fighting to good use, flexing and dragging Clark in closer, deeper, with every thrust. "Need, need to touch you, god, please let me touch you!" he begged shamelessly, hands twisting and turning in agitation.

Reaching up, Clark tore the shredded t-shirt from around Dick's wrists, sliding his own arm beneath the older man's back and pulling him close when he felt Dick's fingers dig into his own shoulders. "C'mon, Dick," he rasped, thrusting deeply into his lover's body and biting his lip to keep from coming. "Let me see you come, let me feel it."

Looking down slightly into Clark's face Dick would swear until the day he died that in that moment he saw eternity in the eyes of the man he loved. His orgasm started in the base of his spine and radiated outwards until every single part of him was coming even though his cock was the only one releasing it. He shook with the force of it, his head thrown back and a moan starting out softly and rising until it was a full blown wail that had throat muscles striating under the pressure.

And then... darkness.

Shaken by the force of his own climax, Clark could only lie there, panting, for a moment. "Oh my God, Dick," he finally breathed, "that was so wild... Dick? Dick!" Fear coursed through him as he sat up, gently slapping his lover's face.

"Wha, hunh? Just ten more minutes, Bruce," Dick muttered, groggily as his head rocked from side to side. "Cut it out will ya, I'm up, I'm up already!"

"Bruce?" Clark pushed up onto his hands, staring down into Dick's slowly opening eyes. "Tell me that you did not call me Bruce when my cock is still in your ass, Fruitcake."

"Clark?" Dick moaned, eyes fluttering open as his body began to catalogue all the aches and pains in his well used body. "What are you talking about?" Wincing slightly as he clenched and unclenched his ass cheeks around his lover's cock, the older man shifted slightly. "When did I call you Bruce?"

Relaxing now that he knew that Dick was awake and coherent, Clark chuckled. "Like, five seconds ago." Shifting back, he carefully pulled out of his lover's body. "You asked for ten more minutes. I'm going to assume you meant of sleep and not of what we'd been doing."

"Oh god, ten more minutes of that and I'd be dead!" Dick groaned, the sound getting louder with each inch that slipped out of him. "As it is I'm seriously going to be walking funny tomorrow. Wally'll have a field day, no doubt!"

Rolling over onto his side he cuddled into the crook of Clark's body, curling himself into as small a shape as possible. There were times, like tonight, that Dick liked to be the one protected and kept safe and who better to do that than his lover who just happened to be pretty much invulnerable. Life was very good.

Pulling Clark's arms around him, Dick stroked his fingers lightly along the younger man's arms. "So, what did you think of today? I know it was a little over the top, what with Kori showing up and everything. In a way I'm kind of glad she did. This way I got to answer the 'what if' question and know definitively that my life is just the way I want it. How are you doing with it?"

Chewing on his lip for a moment, Clark thought about the day before he answered. "I like Donna and Garth, and racing Wally was really cool, but Kori... I'm glad you got your answers, but I could have done without that shock. Do you know how long she's staying for?"

"Haven't a clue, I didn't really talk to her beyond those two conversations we had," Dick admitted. "And I didn't really want to talk about her with you around because I didn't want you to think that I was interested or anything. I'll talk to Garth tomorrow while you and Donna are practicing and see what he knows." Twining his hand through Clark's he brought it up to his lips and kissed the ring again. "You really said yes, didn't you?" Dick grinned, looking like a doofus.

"Keep up with the names and I might change my mind," Clark growled. "And you should talk to her too. I won't get jealous, I trust you, Dick, and I love you."

Dick started to sputter in laughter as he remembered some of the more ... interesting names he came up with. "Oh I don't know, Flesh Gordon and Fuck Dodgers were amusing," he grinned, pushing aside thoughts of talking to Kori for now. Now was Clark and Dick not the world in general.

Clark snorted. "Those I could live with, but referring to me as the Cow King? That's just wrong, Dick."

"Hey at least I didn't call you the Dairy Prince!" Dick replied, snickering.

Outside, hovering just beyond the balcony but well within her hearing range, Koriand'r, last princess of Tamaran, realized at that moment that Dick was well and truly lost to her forever. She might have been able to compete with Clark had it not been for one glaring factor. Dick had never been so alive, so vibrant and so 'touchable' as he was with Clark, and more than that he had never been so playful when they had made love.

Flying away quickly, the young woman wiped her tears away and gave a quavering smile. She could not deny she was heartbroken, but how could anyone be jealous of a man, a fellow alien, who so actively encouraged his lover to make peace with someone from Dick's past? How annoying that she couldn't even hate Clark for stealing Dick from her but instead found herself wishing them every happiness in their lives that the could find. Perhaps tomorrow she'd tell them just that.

After advising them to shut their blinds.

The End

  since 02-04-07

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