[C] Scheming

Fleck followed Dick outside, also ignoring Raf as he passed her.

"You didn't pull it off without consequences, trust me." He smiled brightly at his boyfriend. "You're not getting anything more than a hug now for weeks."

He was going to withhold his kisses and affections from Dick in revenge for doing this completely unplanned.

"And when I think you've suffered enough, then I'll start giving you kisses again. And maybe, eventually I'll even start giving you blowjobs again."

He doubted he would last long enforcing this punishment, but he was going to try.

A look of horror and embarrassment was drawn across his face beautifully. His eyebrows furrowed together, lips slightly parted, cheeks bright red as he looked up at Fleck in disbelief.

"I thought, you know, outside the studio was my punishment?"

The swelling on his lip had gone down completely. It was like Fleck's teeth was never there.

"Oh, no." Fleck shook his head and bought a hand up to trace Dick's lower lip with the tip of his finger.

"That was just part one: leave you wanting more."

His bright smile was back in place.

"Now I'm going to deprive you."

The thumb tickled his bottom lip.

"Okay."

He could play that game.

He had gone over five hundred years with little to no romantic affection. Only a month ago he had his first sexual experience. He could go a few weeks with just hugs.

He hoped.

Already he wanted to lean up and kiss his boyfriend.

"The first of us to crack owes the other an awesome fully planned out date," he challenged.

He didn't know whether that would make Dick more stubborn in avoiding the affection, or make him want to crack easier, but the challenge was there.

Fleck ruffled Dick's hair affectionately and carried on down the street. "Do you fancy eating out, getting something in, or seeing what pop's cooked up?"

"Deal," he said, raising up to Fleck's challenge.

Determination fuelled in him to not be the one first to crack.

He battered the hand away with a smile as his hair fluffed up. (Now considerably less frizzy hair thanks to the wonders of conditioner.)

"I don't mind, as long as I have something to drink."

He only ever ate if he needed to keep up his human persona, or if desperately wanted a taste of whatever sweet food Fleck had.

"Let's go find a nice little place then."

Somewhere small and out of the way. They could share a little dish and chat some.

And not be tempted to disappear up into the privacy of his room for some challenge-losing acts.

"Lead the way."

Fleck was eating, so Fleck could choose.

As they walked it only took him a second to instinctively brush his hand against Fleck's knuckles before he snapped it away.

"If we can hug, does that mean we can hold hands? Or are the off the books as well?"

"I'm banning hugging now, too, in light of the bet," Fleck replied with a grin, purposefully moving his hand away from his boyfriend.

He was going to make this difficult.

Dick was going to suffer, and he was going to laugh as he watched him. And suffer a little bit too.

Dick also made some distance between them so he wouldn't accidentally reach out again. It was the little things like that that were going to be difficult, he decided. The little things he gave no thought about.

Almost everywhere they went now he held his hand. Not only was it nice because he was more comfortable showing public displays of affection. It was also nice able to be himself and show it off.

Born and raised into a strict Catholic lifestyle for the first nine years of his life left an impression that stuck. Relationships between the same sex were sinful. An illegal thing to do, according to his nephew's laws that made it punishable by death.

Even when he travelled with Tony and her ever-changing liberal crew for centuries, the western world's view stuck. It was illegal. It was sinful. He could never walk around the streets with his boyfriend's hands clasped around his.

They got the odd disgusted look occasionally, or a few homophobic comments - intentional or not. But overall, the reception this day and age was good. He didn't feel like an outcast. There was no need to hide.

His eyes roamed Fleck's face and he grinned up at him.

"I love you."

The declaration drew Fleck's gaze.

He grinned. "I love you, too. But you can't get to me that easily."

He was oblivious to the internal monologue his boyfriend had engaged himself in. Well and truly.

He turned into a nice little place, holding the door open for Dick. "My liege," he teased with a bow.

Dick's grin didn't falter.

"I know. I justed wanted to let you know."

Because he could and it felt good.

Dick shook his head at his boyfriend's dramatic flourish and entered the little cafe bar.

"I thought we were over this prince and peasant thing?"

"And you have." Fleck nudged Dick's back as he followed him into the building.

"Not likely," he snorted. "I'm having far too much fun with it to let it die, my dearest Prince. Your favourite peasant just cannot get enough of you."

He took a seat at one of the empty tables, and picked up the menu.

"Do you fancy trying anything? That isn't part of the dessert menu," he clarified after a beat.

Dick would eat straight sugar if it was on a desert menu, but wouldn't touch anything savoury to save his life most days. Fleck was trying to get him to eat a more balanced diet, even if the foods hardly affected Dick.

He sighed. To be fair, it was better than the other teasing nickname that began with a D and ended in a Y.

Dick hummed as he picked up the menu.

"Nope."

He flipped it straight over the desert menu. It was a fairly decent sized one, with lots of fruit and ice cream based desserts.

His tongue slid slowly over his top lip as he read through the list.

Originally he wasn't going to eat, but he may just bare through the suffering later this evening. They all sounded amazing.

Fleck rolled his eyes and plucked the menu from Dick's grasp, turning it over again.

"Try again. What would you like to try, that isn't going to rot your poor fangs out? How will you bite me if you have to have your fangs pulled, huh?"

This was his 'mothering moment' as Chai liked to frequently joke. Fleck had been trying for months to get Dick to eat something that wasn't ice cream or covered in frosting. So far it wasn't working well, but he had hope that if he mothered his boyfriend enough, that he could get him to eat something actually somewhat healthy.

"We'll get something to share. You can have a couple bites, then we can have whatever dessert you want. Deal?"

Dick huffed as the menu was taken from his hands and turned over.

Instantly he zoned in on a dish.

"The sweet potato fries... and whatever they come with." He waved his hand dismissively as he spoke.

Sweet potato was something had been meaning to try for a while. He was intently curious as to whether it lived up to its name. The fact it was fried made it sound even better.

"Then the banana split for dessert, please."

He grinned at his boyfriend. Teeth, if a little wonky, were perfectly fine.

"And whatever they come with," he snorted, but stood, reaching for his pocket. He froze after a second.

"Please tell me you have a better memory than I do, and picked up my wallet?" He didn't remember what he'd done with it after Dick had pressed it to his face when he bought it back from that trip to the corner shop.

He seriously hoped that Dick had picked it up and kept it safe, because otherwise they'd be walking back home without supper. And just when he'd gotten Dick to agree to eating something that wasn't on the dessert menu.

Dick frowned at his boyfriends look of horror.

He dug his hands into both his pockets. In one hand was his. In the other was his boyfriend's.

"Sorry, I must have put in there by accident."

Giving his boyfriend an embarrassed smile, he handed it back over.

Fleck gave his boyfriend a heated look and swept forwards, reaching to pluck his wallet from his boyfriend's hand and bringing his face closer to Dick's.

He almost had his lips pressed to Dick's when he remembered his challenge. He pulled back with a groan before their lips touched, and pointed at Dick.

"When you crack and I win the bet, I'm giving you the best reward for remember this." He held his wallet up to punctuate his point. "Now, sweet potato fries coming up."

He disappeared off to the counter, returning a few minutes later with a grin. "Be about twenty minutes."

Dick's smile stretched further as he saw Fleck swoop in. Then it dropped as soon as he stopped.

All he had to do was accidentally pocket a wallet and he'd almost won the challenge not even an hour in.

"You're the one that is totally going to crack," he said before his boyfriend walked away.

He sighed when Fleck returned.

"Twenty minutes too long."

He hadn't eaten since England - that was a fun game of a constant string of excuses and "no, Aunt Pearl, your mash potato is lovely." So now that it was in his mind, he was looking forward to tasting something that wasn't liquid.

Which reminded him:

"Did you order some drinks too."

"Yeah, say that tonight when I'm sleeping on the floor and you get cold. You'll be cuddling up to me quicker than you can believe."

He made himself comfortable in his chair and rolled his eyes good-naturedly at the complain and question.

"Even when you don't eat, you complain about the food industry. Shows that British complaints are in the blood, not the upbringing. And don't worry. I got you your wine. You know, Chai's beginning to think you have a problem," he teased.

Dick made a face.

Then he frowned, thinking.

"Does she actually?"

He only drank because for the vast majority of the time he didn't eat. Plus, a glass or two helped him relax.

But he didn't want Fleck's family thinking badly of him because of it.

"Not with any seriousness. Stop worrying."

He leaned forwards with a little, adoring smile. "They all love you just as much as I do. You're going to get worry lines if you carry on like that. I know you said you'd stay with me when I'm old and fat and been pregnant a hundred times, but I made no such promises. If you get worry lines, I'm skipping out on you."

Obviously it was a joke. Dick wouldn't be able to get rid of him if he tried. Not now.

Dick relaxed back into his seat at his boyfriend's assurance.

"Good thing I don't get worry lines, then."

He bit his lip as soon as he said it. With crying fest still fresh in his mind, it probably wasn't the most appropriate joke to make.

"You sure you want to test that? Twenty year olds can get worry lines if they stress too much, and you stress enough for an entire family!"

Dick was definitely a worrier by nature. No one could deny that claim.

"So am I going to have to force you to try some of the burger that I ordered? Just a bite."