Hayley's second day at Dante's residence was just as delightful. He made her a delicious meal for breakfast. As they ate, Hayley asked Dante what happened last night, still clueless. Dante told her that he found her sleeping in the cafe she was at. He woke her up and she was still blur, thus he decided to bring her back to his apartment for her safety. She believed every word of his, not knowing it was false information.

"Are you sure you're alright though?" Dante ask, his voice shows genuine concern, slurping in some noodles he made for himself.

"Yeah, I'm just really tired from the gallery's preparation."

"You sure? Are you feeling any sort of depression? - he impersonated the tone of a doctor- Cause that's one of the reasons why some people sleep so much."

"Naww… I'm fine," she replied, but inside, she felt unsure.

"You sure?"

"Busted. I'm having a slight disagreement with Dick." she murmured while forcefully stabbing her fork into a piece of bacon.

"Dick? The guy dating Angelique?"

Shuddering at the sound of the she-witch's name being mentioned. Hayley just gave a cold nod. Dante caught how she reacted and just dropped the questions he had in mind about his cousin's new found love.

"Do you wanna go on a movie marathon with me today?" Dante asked with excitement, dropping down his fork into his bowl of freshly made noodles.

"Yeah, I guess..." she replied with hesitation hidden behind her words because she never fell into the movie junky category.

Dante allowed Hayley to choose the first movie to watch but she was oblivious to movies and pushed the decision making to Dante instead. He had picked out Lord of the Rings but the movie ended up making Hayley fall asleep halfway through. Dante noticed and switched to animation movies, somehow the animation movie woke Hayley up from her slumber and managed to hold her attention; Dante pulled Hayley closer towards him, his arm wrapped around her waist.

The last time Hayley was so close to guy was when Dick Grayson still doned the Robin costume. They'd hang out at the roof of her apartment in Gotham, wrapped in warm blankets together and just talked through the night. There was definitely no romance involved and they both knew it.

"Wrapped in by a hunk." She thought to herself, an involuntary smile crept up her face. Her phone vibrated silently in her hand, she checked the message, it was from Dick.

Where are you? The text stated.

Hayley sighed, not wanting to deal with Dick so soon, she let her eyes wander back to the flat screen television.

Suddenly the movie paused, confused, Hayley looked at Dante.

"Why don't we go on vacation?" Dante asked.

"That's sudden."

"We can go to the beach, like how you always wanted."

"Very funny, Dante."

"I'm being serious, anywhere you want, my treat."

"Dante, please. I know you're rich but this is too much. I don't deserve this."

"Yes, you do." He pressed on. "You gave me a chance to be with you and you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Blushing, Hayley looked away smiling, trying to hide her strawberry shaded face.

"Come on, just you and me. I promise I won't spoil you but let me just bring you on vacation once. One week is all I ask for."

Hayley thought for a while.

"You're lucky I'm on sem break." She smiled, agreeing to go on vacation with him since she has been wanting to go on vacation for a long time. Plus, she needed to get away from it all.

"Lucky me indeed." Dante murmured as he leaned closer to Hayley, his face inches away from hers. "And it keeps getting better." He whispered in his husky voice, closing in. His soft lips touched hers gently. She smells sweet with a hint of sexy, Dante inhales her scent then briefly lost his train of thought as her arms wrapped around his neck, deepening the kiss. For the first time, Dante lost control, he was not orchestrating, was not thinking or planning his next move. All he knew that he needed her by his side, for all the bad things he has done, she was the first good thing that happened to him, he wished this could last forever.

Dante had his mouth on Hayley's throat, trailing her frail neck, planting kisses on every inch. An audible groan escaped from him at the taste of her clean warm skin on his tongue and her lavender scent filled him with every breath. Her soft skin beneath his yearning lips tempted him more as he nibbles on her collar bone, making Hayley moan softly, barely enough to be heard over pin drop silence. Unlike other girls he had been with, Hayley was the first girl who was as quiet as a church mouse when he has his way with her. He was afraid that he was not making the right moves to leave her wanting for more. To his surprise, she was just really shy.

One of Hayley's hands grabbed his hair from pleasure. Taking it as a sign, Dante continued his pleasurable journey to her ears. Hayley could feel his warm breath in her right ear, sending shivers down her spine until a tongue darted in to taste the shell of it making her squirm ever so slightly in his arms, his lips wet and warm on her earlobe.

The day slid by in occasional stretches of sensation and movies running in the background.
(kisses and movies; nothing more than that)

Hayley and Dante arrived at their five starred beach resort in San Diego. This was the first time Hayley had been treated to such a luxurious stay. The staff were so well mannered, it felt like she went back in time to the Victorian eras. Their suite was the biggest available, Dante really did not hold back on giving the best to his cherished girlfriend. The suite was decorated with simple, minimalist furniture and designs, by the window had a gorgeous view of the San Diego beach. Hayley was absolutely amazed at the view, the horizon separated the vast blue sky and the clear blue waters of the sea.

She could not help but smile at how lucky she was. She ran towards Dante who was on the phone discussing business details with god knows who, she leapt onto him and clinged to his body like a Koala would to a tree. Dante barely budged from where he stood but was definitely surprised by her sudden action. He smiled throughout his discussion with his colleague whilst hugging Hayley the Koala.

She definitely would have fun this week and forget all the bad memories that could only peek from her unconscious mind, envious that they are unable to ruin her week.

The couple returned to Blüdhaven safe and sound a week later from San Diego Beach. Hayley had the most fun in her life from all the water skiing, spa sessions, fine dining, and surfing there. Dante had an awesome time with Hayley.

It felt like forever since Hayley had been back into her little hostel. Entering the small studio loft made her understand how luxuriously she had lived for the past week in a five star hotel and not to mention the jacuzzi in the room. She settled her backpack of recently bought clothes she got in San Diego. Dante was so excited for the vacation, he did not even let her pack her stuff from her place; he just bought their plane tickets and they flew straight there.

Hayley pulled the curtains aside and opened the windows, letting the musty air out of her long vacant room. The sun hung low on the horizon, its orange light filling the room with a calming atmosphere. After taking in the sight of her room, she decided to go through her phone that was cleverly hidden under a loose floorboard that only she can locate. She took it out, turned it on and went through her messages, one from her mum with a picture attached to it, showing how happy she was at a recent party. Next was Ruby, she left Hayley eight text messages, three missed calls and one voicemail. She replied her messages and told her about her fantastic vacation with Dante, not leaving out juicy details for her good friend. Then last came over hundreds of text messages, missed calls and voice messages from none other than, Richard John 'Dick' Grayson. Hayley was not entertained by the fact that he was overdoing it so she left her phone to be charged and went back to her backpack.

As Hayley was unpacking her new and expensive clothes to be washed. A birdarang flew past her face and landed firmly (painfully) into her plastered wall, creating another dent.

"What in bloody fudge cakes!" Hayley shouted, as her anger began boiling under her skin. She walked up to the birdarang, pulled it out and threw it behind her with all her strength. Hoping she hit the figure looming at her opened window; of course, the figure caught it with utmost ease.

"Where have you been?" The figure asked in a firm voice, halfway through her window sill. Hayley could feel he was highly displeased.

"San Diego." she stated matter-of-factly, not bothering to lie or make up excuses.

"I know."

"Then why ask?" she hissed back too quickly. Wait… how did he know? "How did-"

"I tracked you down when you didn't reply me."

"You're stalking me now?" Hayley spat, obviously ticked off.

"If I have to. Yes."

"You know what?!" She said loudly this time but her conscience kicked in and reasoned with her. It told her not to start a fight, be the better person and just be the good friend who stopped caring. "You know what? It's fine, thanks for caring. Now if you'll excuse me." Hayley walked up to see that Dick was in full costume again. She opened her window wider and urged him to leave, a plastic smile painfully spread across her face. Nightwing ignored her gesture and continued questioning her.

"Where were you after you left the Hall?" while walking into her hostel as if it were his own. Hayley sighed softly and continue to wear her mask with the cheshire smile, walked to her bed and sat on it, she could feel his eyes following her with every move she made.

"Hayley, I'm asking you a question."

Wow, he's using my full given name. She thought to herself bitterly.

"I went to Star City to find Dante."

"Ah, of course. Your boy toy."

"Excuse me?" Hayley was offended by the title given to Dante from the Playboy Prince himself.

"What happened when you were in Star City?"

"I waited for him to finished his meeting and just went back to his apartment."

"What did you guys do?"

"We didn't do IT, if that's what you're asking."

"I don't care."

"Of course you don't."

The tension was between the two 'friends' was rising higher than the Empire State Building and it was not getting pleasant for Hayley. There was a long pause of silence before Nightwing decided to push her buttons further.

"You were damn fast to change from me to him now, aren't ya?"

Taken aback, Hayley tried her best to keep her cool and acted like how Dick always did. Pretend to be funny. So she looked at him with wide eyes, her hand on her mouth, mimicking a shocked and sorry face.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel like that." She sarcastically stated with a fake gasp. Making Nightwing's brow furrowed deeply behind his black eye mask, unamused. "I'm sorry, that's mean of me, lemme rephrase that." Clearing her throat. "Since you're dating a LeBlanc, I thought I'd try it out myself and dayummm boy are you right. Dem LeBlancs are sexy as fuck."

In a swift motion, Nightwing threw another birdarang to his left, leaving yet another dent in Hayley's dented wall.

"For god's sake, Dick!" Hayley shouted, never expected for him to lose his cool so fast. She thought years of training with the Bats would render him emotionless, at least in costume. She walked up to the birdarang and tried to pull it out. This time, she could not, the birdarang's wing was planted so deep in her wall, even with all her strength, she failed to pull it out. From the back, Nightwing was towering over her. His arms reached past her head and slammed into the wall, enclosing her between it and him.

Hayley did not want to turn around to face him, fearing what might happen next. Nightwing's face came closer, his lips almost touching her earlobe.

"I broke up with Angelique." He whispers with no regrets, making Hayley turn her head slowly, her brain pending to process what he has just stated. Her eyes met his behind the mask, searching for clues on whether he was fooling around or plain serious. When she wanted to open her mouth for questions, Nightwing started towards the window nonchalantly. Halfway out the window, he continued: "And I suggest you do the same thing, for your own safety."

"Break up with Dante?" Hayley asked, dazed and confused.

"Not having anything to do with the LeBlancs." but before Nightwing could grab his grappling hook to aim, a hand grabbed onto his arm tightly, he turned to see Hayley's concerned face.

"What do you know that I don't?" She asked sternly.