Life's Canvas

Sleepless

Chapter 6: Sleepless

Life's Canvas

Chapter 6: Sleepless

Richard sent a disgusted glance in the way of his alarm clock, inwardly cursing the luminescent green numbers. He shifted on his bed and tried fruitlessly to persuade sleep to come. 1:00 a.m. and he had yet to even become drowsy. He was confused, yes, but far from tired. Kori was breaking all of his carefully set up rules with such skillful ease it was almost frightening. Richard had refused to let himself become attached in any fashion to anyone. There were very, very few exceptions. Raven was his closest friend, and even she had hardly become to uncover all that was Richard Grayson. It had taken many years of tentative friendship with her before he had come to eve remotely allow the idea he enjoyed her company.

He supposed Victor Stone was something of a friend, but he was more of a bar buddy... he had been a faithful companion all those late nights out at the clubs. Until Victor had tied the knot. It seemed like everyone was married...

None the less, Richard had successfully made becoming his friend a very, very hard task up until now. Then Kori just waltzes in on her little bare feet and declares him her friend within six hours of meeting him. He groaned. Artists...

Richard tensed at the soft sound of steps pattering past his door. He heard the footsteps stop and then continue again, growing faint and finally disappearing from his straining ears. That was definitely not Alfred scurrying by his door, and Bruce hadn't come home that evening. Kori? He rolled from his bed and quietly slipped from his room. Richard rounded the corner and peered down one of the stairwells.

For a moment, his heart stopped. Kori was lying on her back, splayed across the cold marble floor of the foyer and staring blankly up at the chandelier. It briefly crossed his mind that she might be dead. But she obviously wasn't, because if Richard's memory served right, corpses did not usually move their hands up to brush long ruby hair from their faces.

He descended the steps, his brows furrowed. What was with this girl? As he came to stand behind her, he looked over her face and their eyes met. A cheerful smile spread across Kori's face.

"Hello Richard!" she exclaimed, as if she'd been expecting him.

"What are you doing...?" he asked skeptically. She shrugged.

"I had too many ideas buzzing in my head to sleep. I kept tossing and turning and... I thought I'd come down here to sort my thoughts," she said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world and he hefted a sigh.

"You were thinking too much... so you came down here... to lie on the floor?" he asked, a little disturbed. Kori nodded.

"Yes. I would have gone outside, but I think it might be a bit damp on the lawn," she added. Richard blinked. This woman was insane... "So, why are you up?" she asked. He huffed.

"I'm out here because I heard you running past my room," he grumbled. Kori smirked.

"But you must've been awake to begin with. I wasn't that loud. So, why can't you sleep? Surely it's not because you're thinking about the Art Gallery too," she said. He shook his head, noticing for the first time her night attire. Ignoring the violet silk short shorts and matching tank top hanging off of her shoulders to the very best of his ability, he rolled his eyes.

"No, I was just thinking about stuff. And no, I don't want to talk about it," far be it from him to admit he was contemplating Kori and friendship and marriage all on the same thought-process.

"Why? Is it because you were thinking of finger painting? Is that why you don't want me to know? Because you know I was right and that you really did have fun?" she asked, grinning triumphantly.

"No," he said, voice about as far from enthused as it could get. Kori wrinkled her nose.

"Suuurrre..." she winked and Richard sighed, shaking his head.

"Do you ever give up?" he asked. She shook her head and rolled onto her stomach, drawing her knees under her and pulling herself to her feet. "You should go to bed," he commented. Kori shrugged and looked around herself.

"Well, so should you. I didn't think this place could be any more beautiful, but it looks so... magical in the dark. The way the moonlight comes through that window and hits the crystals on the chandelier..." she trailed off and bit her lip, staring at the glittering crystals with delight. Richard just watched her, scolding himself internally. But she really was pretty in the low light, her fiery hair like a halo about her head and her green eyes brighter than emeralds.

He squeezed his eyes shut. He really needed to leave now. When Bruce got back, he was going to go on vacation and leave Gotham and all its beautiful but eccentric artists behind for a good long while. Maybe he'd go to Tahiti or something...

Kori abruptly whirled to face him, catching him a little off guard. "I think I can sleep now. Good night, Richard!" she beamed at him and wrapped his in a quick but suffocating hug before bounding up the stairs and leaving him alone in the foyer. He coughed, regaining the breath that had been squeezed out of him. He inhaled deeply, and noted the scent of orange flower and jasmine still hanging in the air. Whatever...

He ran a hand through his unruly black hair and trudged back towards his room, plodding up the stairs. He was suddenly, very tired. Kori exhausted him, he decided. The odd part was, he didn't hate that fact. As he flopped into his bed, he smirked. He wondered how Raven dealt with Kori's spontaneous hugging...

Richard fell asleep, and surprisingly... there were no nightmares. No horrific replays of his parents deaths... just peace and quiet and the scent of orange flower and jasmine. It would have been a restful sleep, if he hadn't been jarred into consciousness by a terrific crash and Kori's piercing scream.

TT

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