Of Fire and Flames (A Nightwing Love Story)

Chapter Sixteen ~ Training

"The Joker's after you Ella," he growls and his eyes seem to glow, "You have to retain control of your powers!"

Retain control, he says. The Jokers after me, he says....okay, so he's actually right. Last night right after Nightwing left I went up to my room to go to bed when I noticed that something was off. I went into what Superboy calls "Hero Mode" and searched my room, I almost didn't find anything but as I was walking past my bedside table I noticed something that defiantly wasn't there before.

A playing card and not just any playing card, with the Joker's face on it. It also had a word written on it, "Soon" and that word was written in red, which I'm sure was blood. I nearly screamed but I managed to contain it. I quickly grabbed  my communicator out of my pocket and called Nightwing. He was breaking down my door (not literately) five minutes later.

After he saw the card he ended up staying the night on the couch and calling Batman. There's now a 24/7 watch on my house and since it's Nightwing's turn, he's decided that we should put my new fireproof training room to use...

"Did you even hear me? The Joker's after you Ella," he growls at me again, "You have to retain control of your powers! I don't want to see you get hurt!"

Believe me, I want to. But as I sit here, Nightwing continues bringing up bad memories, trying to break my control. As he does, I can feel my powers  growing stronger and larger. Nightwing was finally starting to slow down the "training", as he realizes that my control is starting to frey, he tells me to cool off. But when I try I can't. My powers- the feeling of it humming in every part of my body, is just so consuming and warm.

Now they're really starting to flare up and starting to get out of control, this thought is at the forefront of my mind. But part of me doesn't want to lose this feeling. The feeling of the warmth spreading inside me. The raging fire that fuels me. The deep connection I feel with them is amazing but I need control before I burn this whole place down. Fireproof or not.

 "I can feel it and it's consuming me. I can't get control—" I can't find the words I want to say.

"Think of something else. Do something else! Get your mind away from it as much as you can."

Do something. 

I focus all my energy on  putting the fire that's managed to come out and dance on my skin out. By some miracle I get most of it out, I reach out to Nightwing and my hands rest on Nightwing's t-shirt covered chest. I clench the fabric of his shirt in my hands and I bring his lips down to mine roughly. He responds immediately, his hands moving from my forearms to my waist. I bring my hands up to his hair and run them through it, his hair is so soft and silky and I can feel each of his muscles move, we're that close to each other.

But then he freezes.

His body shakes and he tears his lips from mine. His mouth is still open and his face is scrunched up. His heartbeat pounds rapidly, which I can feel beating under my fingertips,  "Nightwing?" I breathe out in question.

He opens his eyes. "Ella," he whispers, then the tone of his voice changes drastically to a growl, "You can't do that, ever again."

"Do what?" I whisper shyly

He wraps his arms tighter around my torso, his hand brushing my skin where my shirt had ridden up, and with his other hands he strokes down the right side of my face. I close my eyes and push my powers back into my body, as far as I can, making sure I don't burn him while he holds me. His hand drifts up and down my face, like he was trying memorize what I look like. His hand goes back and brushes the hair that's fallen out of my pony tail behind my ear and reaches his hand to the back of my head where he grabs a thick bundle of hair and he brings my face down to his lips.

"Don't kiss me when you're out of control. It's not safe...for ether of us" he says softly, his hands go back to my waist and he kisses my cheek, "Come on, we should get back to training."

***

After we went our separate ways, and I took a seriously cold shower, we ended up in my living room. We're just sitting there in awkward silence when I get a brilliant idea, "You want to play twenty questions again?"

He smiles at me and lifts his arm up so I can sit next to him, I quickly scoot over next to him and he wraps his arm around my shoulders, "Alright. You start this time."

"Ok, why wasn't it safe for us to kiss earlier? I was in control then."

He sighs and rubs his face with the hand that wasn't playing with mine, "Ella please. I promise you I will tell you later. I don't want to scare you right now. Do you want to ask me another question?"

I shake my head and slip out from under his arm, "I think I'm just going to get a cup of tea and go to bed, I didn't realize I was as tired as I am. Good night Nightwing."

"Ella...."

"Good night," I say a little more firmly before going into the kitchen.

*Nightwing*

I hate seeing Ella hurt but this time, it can't be helped. Batman ordered me to back off her. Normally I wouldn't of listened to him, but what if this is my fault? What if one my enemies saw us together and now they're targeting her to get to me? I don't want to let her find out about this until I'm sure.

So until then, I'm just going to have to try to keep my distance from her. I can already tell that it's going to be extremely difficult, I think I'm falling in love with her, and her reactions tell me that she feels the same way about me. So how do I convince her to slow down a little without hurting  her worse than I already have?

***