Horns & Talons

Chapter Two

-Dick's POV-

I woke up. The bright sunlight glared in my eyes. I moved my arm over my face, yawning. I could smell flowers and hear the rhythmic splashing of the ocean outside the window. Sitting up, I stretched my arms out and let my eyes flutter closed for a moment. Almost immediately, I was hit with a pillow. 

Opening my eyes, I didn't see the culprit. I stood up. "Wow, I wonder who could've hit me," I said out loud, tip toeing around the room. I could barely hear Athena's footsteps. I listened closely and followed. 

When I heard the back door creak open, I smirked. Going around the front, I cornered the attacker on the balcony. Our eyes met. I could see the determined surprise in her indigo irises. I set my jaw and cocked my head to the side in an invitational way. Athena stood in place, her feet glued to the wood. Her eyes darted to either side of me. I raised an eyebrow.

Trying to psych me out, she between my legs. I reached down and snatched her ankle. Pulling her up, I held her bridal style over the ocean below. "Drop me, coward. I'm not scared. I won't beg for my life," she said, her voice falsely serious. 

"Tell me what you know and I will let you go free," I mocked back. 

"I know nothing, and even if I did, I would never tell a cop like you."

I jerked her body up, landing a kiss. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I gently set her down on the edge of the wood railing. Slowly, we broke apart, breathless. "Wanna tell me who threw that pillow now?"

She leaned in and kissed my forehead. "I'll take it to the grave."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Letting her down, we walked inside. 

After a quick shower together, Athena and I got dressed. I wore a pair of blue swim trunks and a white shirt. Athena wore her white bikini top with a pair of red shorts. We were supposed to meet the Young Justice Team for breakfast before the wedding. 

Holding hands, we walked from the beach cabin we were staying in. While everyone else was staying in a hotel near the wedding venue, I had insisted we stayed somewhere more luxurious. Athena and I rarely got vacations, so I wanted the one's we did get to be special. It wasn't every day that we got to spend a whole month in Bora Bora. However, the walk from our cabin to the hotel was abut twenty minutes. And the walk to the breakfast place was even farther. 

But, we walked anyway. I felt the sun beat down on my skin, tanning it gently. The constant smell of sea salt and the sound of waves comforted me as I walked. The ocean breeze kept me cool, despite the hot temperatures. 

And then there was the beauty beside me. Athena constantly looked around at everything. I could see the childish curiosity lighting up her face. It was the most joyful thing I had seen. Athena rarely got to enjoy things. I knew what had happened to her and why she was the way she was. 

As we walked, I continued to watch Athena. I thought back to when I had first met her. She was full of confidence, ego, and drive. She wasn't afraid of anything and she found great passion and happiness in her work. I then thought back to four years ago, when she returned from Ra's kidnapping. She was scared, sad, and broken. Then, Jason gave her back some of that passion and happiness that she had lost. Now, Athena was different from the person she was when we first met almost six years ago. She was fearful and hesitant. Yet, she was also full of life and intense eagerness that characterized her. While I knew she would never be the person I first met, I was still deeply, deeply in love with the girl I knew now.

Catching me staring, Athena turned her gorgeous head to me. Her ponytail whipped the side, her blond highlights catching the sunlight. Her tanned body faced me. Her pink lips stood out against her darkened skin, slightly open. Her bright blue eyes met mine with a confused stare.