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Dick feels giddy as he gets out of his car. He can’t wait to see Kory. It’s been too long. Well, it’s only been a week and a half, but that’s too long.
He had left to help Donna with an Argus mission. It’s not that it was a particularly hard mission; Dick just had a lot of experience with this bad guy and so Donna asked him to lend his expertise. It would have been a waste of Kory’s time for her to come too, and besides, San Francisco needs protecting.
So he went and she stayed. Tim came to the tower to help out. Kory doesn’t really need it, but it’s always good to have a partner to have your back and it’s good for Tim to receive some training from Kory.
He was supposed to be gone two weeks, but it was a cinch and Argus didn’t really need him that much anyway. So he’s home four days early. But he hasn’t told Kory. He wants to surprise her.
God, he can’t wait to see her. They’ve spoke on the phone, but that’s nowhere near is good as being with her in person. He’s missed her so much. His body has been aching for her. This is the longest they’ve been apart since they got together.
He can’t wait to see her reaction when he walks in. The way her mouth will drop for only a second before her face will light up in that beautiful big smile of hers. She’ll probably run into his arms, and then he’ll pick her up and she’ll wrap her legs around him. She’ll kiss him passionately and he’ll smile into the kiss. If Tim is smart, he’ll make himself scarce. Dick will then carry her to their room and take her to bed.
God, it’s been so long.
Dick has to stop himself from running from his car to the elevator. The whole elevator ride probably takes only 20 seconds, but it feels like forever. As soon as he steps out of the elevator, he looks around the common room for Kory. But she's not there. He sets his bag on the table and walks further into the room.
"Kory," he calls out.
After a few moments, he hears footsteps; but not Kory's.
“Hey Dick, you’re back early,” Tim says, walking into the room.
Dick smiles at him. “Yeah, the case wrapped up earlier than expected. Where’s Kory? Is she out?”
Tim looks at Dick dumbfounded. “Out? Definitely not. She’s in bed, resting.”
Dick looks at his watch. “She’s in bed at 2pm?”
That’s not like Kory at all. Concern starts to build in Dick’s chest.
“Is she okay?”
“Uh, I mean, uh- she didn’t tell you?”
Dread pools in Dick’s belly.
“Tell me what?” Dick asks, voice low and hard.
Tim rubs the back of his neck, looking sheepish.
“She’s sick,” he says. “The Tamaranean version of the flu.”
Dick is striding into the hallway toward Kory’s room before the all the words are even out of Tim’s mouth. He’s opening the door to her room in now time. He enters slowly, as he doesn’t want to wake her up if she’s sleeping.
She’s not. But she is laying in bed, practically swaddled in a big blanket, watching the TV with bleary eyes. Her forehead is sweaty and there are bags under her eyes.
She looks terrible.
Kory turns to look at him, eyes widening in surprise.
“Dick, what are y-“
Dick's by her side, sitting on the edge of the bed, in the blink of an eye. He looks over frantically.
"Tim says you're sick?" he asks, concern in his voice. "How sick? How long? What is it? How do you feel?"
He brings up a hand to feel her forehead.
"You know, the first question out of your mouth should have been if it's contagious to humans. Definitely should have asked that before you came right next to me and touched me," Kory says, voice hoarse. "...It's not by the way, but you still should have asked."
"Kory," Dick says, still wanting his previous questions answered.
"It's basically the Tamarean version of the flu. It lasts about a week. No big deal."
As soon she she says that, she goes into a coughing fit. Dick rushes to sit her up and rubs her back. After a minute, she’s done and Dick gently lays her back down.
“When did this start?” Dick asks.
Kory’s silent for a few moments. And then “Tuesday.”
Dick blanches, jaw dropping. “Five days?” He asks, unable to believe it.
She’s been sick for five days and she didn’t tell him. Dick clenches his jaw, anger running through him. He takes a deep breath and tries to let it go. She’s sick; he’s not gonna be angry at her now.
“You have something to say.”
“No, it’s fine,” Dick says, voice tight.
“You’re angry.”
Dick says nothing to that. Kory lets out a sigh.
“Just come out with it.”
“No, you’re sick. I’m not gonna do this now; we can fight when you’re better.”
“No. If we’re gonna fight, let’s fight now.”
“If?” Dick scoffs.
She’s unfuckingbelievable. Dick shakes his head, his anger building so much that he can't keep it in anymore.
"How could you not tell me you're sick?" He asks. She opens her mouth to answer, but he continues on before she can. "Not just not tell me, but actively hide it from me? All those phone calls, when I asked about your day, how you were...you lied to me."
“You were on a mission.”
“You still should have told me,” Dick says firmly.
“You would have come straight home.”
“And?”
“And you didn't need to. It’s just the flu. The mission was more important.”
“No it wasn’t! I wasn’t even needed that badly, which is why I’m home so early.”
“And I know how much you’ve missed Donna and how happy you were to spend time with her, even if it was on a mission,” Kory continues, as if he hadn’t spoken. “ I didn’t want you to miss out on that.”
“So you lied to me.”
“I knew you’d come back.”
"I repeat: so you lied to me."
Kory lets out a frustrated noise. "The mission and Donna were more important!"
"I think it should be up to me to decide what's more important to me," Dick argues. "And it's you. It will always be you.'
"Dick, come on!" Kory exclaims, exasperated.
"What?"
"You're being ridiculous. It's just the flu," Kory says. "You shouldn't drop everything every time something slightly bad happens to me. I mean, what, are you gonna come running for a stubbed toe?"
"The flu and a stubbed toe are not the same thing!"
"It's the same principle!"
"No, it's not!"
Dick lets out a frustrated sigh. And then he takes a deep breath, trying to calm his anger, his frustration. He doesn't want to fight with her right now, but she's just so...argh.
"Kory," he says, voice even now.
"I can't believe you're the one who is saying being sick is a big deal. You! Hiding sickness is exactly something you'd do!"
"And you don't think that tells you right away that you did something wrong?"
Kory's confident expression falters and she looks less sure of herself now. “It really is only the flu.”
“You’re bedridden,” Dick points out. “You need someone to take care of you.”
“Tim’s been taking care of me and he’s been doing a good job.”
“I’m sure he’s doing an adequate job,” Dick says. “But does he fluff your pillows exactly the way you like? Does he know the exact way and temperature you like your soup? Will he hold your hair and rub your back as you throw up? Will he crawl into bed with you, hold you in his arms, and whispers words of comfort to you? Will he kiss your sweaty forehead?”
To make his point, Dick leans down and kisses her forehead.
“No, because that’s gross,” Kory responds, laughing a little bit. “And all that stuff is nice, but I could survive without it. Donna and the mission were more Im-“
“Do not say more important,” Dick fumes. “You don’t get to decide what’s more important to me. You don’t get to keep things from me in order to make choices for me. You do-“
Kory suddenly jumps from the bed and races to the bathroom. Dick hears the sound of the toilet seat lifting and then Kory throwing up. Dick rushes to her side and kneels down next to her. He quickly gathers up all her hair in his hand and holds it behind her. He uses the other hand to gently rub her back.
Every single ounce of anger drains out of him.
Another minute and she’s done throwing up. She moans and flushes the toilet. Dick reaches up and grabs a tissue, using it to wipe her mouth. She turns and looks at him gratefully. She then slumps forward, leaning her head against his chest. Dick wraps his arms around her.
“I got you,” he whsipers. Kory moans against his shirt. “I know. I know,” Dick says soothingly.
God, he’d do anything to take her pain away. After a few moments, when she’s ready, Dick helps Kory to get feet. He grabs a paper cup and pours some mouthwash into it and hands it to her.
“Thank you,” she says, voice weak and quiet.
“You don’t need to thank me,” he says.
With that, he escorts her back to her bed. He pulls back the covers and helps her in, and then he tucks the covers around her. He looks at their nightstand and sees a jar of Tamaranean medicine and a mostly empty glass of water.
“When’s the next time you can take your medicine?” He asks her.
“What time is it?” She groans.
“2:20.”
“Then in four and a half hours.”
Dick nods and picks up the glass of water. He holds it up to her mouth and helps her sip the water that remains.
“I’m gonna get you some more water. I’ll be right back,” Dick tells her. “Is there anything else you need?”
Kory shakes her head.
Dick hurries to the kitchen, fills up the glass of water, and hurries back, putting it on their nightstand.
“Am I okay to lay with you or will that overheat you?”
Kory lifts her arm up and reaches for him. “Please.”
Dock goes and turns off the lights and then slides into bed with her. He gathers her into his arms. They lay there in silence.
“I’m sorry for keeping this from you, for lying,” she whispers. “I just didn’t want to make you lose or miss out on anything.”
Dick’s quiet for a few moments.
“I know,” he whispers back, no anger on his voice, just softness. “I know you had good intentions. Just please please don’t keep this kind of stuff from me. Let me decide what I want to do.”
“Okay,” Kory agrees quietly.
Dick kisses the back of her head. “Love you.”
“Love you too,” Kory says sleepily.
And they fall asleep together.