Slow Burn

A/N: Hey all! I am not new to fanfic writing but I have never published anything to AFF before, although I love reading the fics here! Years ago I had a Voltron fan site featuring the Lotor/Allura pairing, with a number of my own fics, but I shut it down since it was becoming too much work to maintain the site. Maybe I will eventually polish up those stories and submit them here, if anyone is interested. So I am not a novice writer, which you will probably notice. Not to be conceited or anything, but I think I'm a reasonably good writer. Reviews and constructive criticism (no flames) are welcome!

Here is a sexy little number about one of my other fave anime pairings- Amon and Robin from Witch Hunter Robin.

OK, this is not the usual type of fic that I write- I do lemons sometimes but this is just about ALL lemon-lime... heheh. If you have a problem with that please don't read. It's Amon/Robin (of course) and they are a little OOC (but not much). Significant Lemon/lime content with fluff and just a bit of humor. Adults only please!! Relatively little about the other characters, its mainly Amon/Robin.

Timeline for this story is about 4 years post-Factory. If you haven't watched the whole series yet you might be missing a few things, but this is a pretty simple story. But its such a cool show, you really should watch the whole series just cuz its so great!! Not much of a plot, just a normal day at the STN-J kinda thing... at least until a run-of-the-mill Hunt goes awry and Robin is almost killed... forcing Amon and Robin to "re-evaluate" their relationship. *we ALL know what that means!-wink wink*

Yes, another Amon/Robin romance. Like there aren't enough of those already. I can't help it, I just love them as a pair. In real life a romantic relationship between an adult man and a teenage girl ten years his junior would be- well- eeewwwww creepy (not that I would ever call such a thing in reality "romantic", yuck!) but this is fiction, so lighten up! Besides, for some reason I think there is just something so hot (albeit a little messed-up) about this relationship, so sue me! (eh, I mean don't sue me! I own nothing!) And just to be safe, I aged Robin-chan to 19 for this one (yes, that would make Amon-kun 29, in case you failed math.) The idea is that they've been working together and getting to know and trust each other more over a few years, and are both ready to take that next step in their relationship. Yummy smut ensues. Along with the requisite happy ending. Yay!

After this, I will try to keep the authors notes to a minimum, I know they are annoying and distracting. This is going to be a fairly short fic, only about 6-8 chapters, not sure how many yet. Most of it is finished, and I hope to have the final bit done soon. ::crosses fingers:: So I will try to update regularly. Please be patient with me!

On with the story!

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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Witch Hunter Robin. I don't own Amon. Or even Zaizen. (Wait, that last one is probably a GOOD thing. Ew.)

"Slow Burn" -by Jadewitch


Chapter 1- Attraction

Robin stopped off at Harry's, as was her habit, for a quick espresso on her way to work one morning. After a few minutes of idle chitchat with the kind-hearted restaurant owner/bartender whom she fondly thought of as a father, the 19 year-old witch hunter took her espresso in a to-go cup, waved goodbye to Master Harry, and headed off to nearby Raven's Flat, zooming with fearless precision through traffic in her sporty, shimmery smoke-blue Mercedes coupe. The hunters of the STN-J all agreed that it was obvious who taught Robin to drive by the ruthlessness with which she handled her car, eerily similar to the vehicular modus operandi of another of their black-wearing coworkers. The willowy, fragile looking blonde girl could give those NASCAR daredevils a run for the money.

Robin would never call herself reckless, exactly; she just had confidence. Thanks to years of working in a high-risk job, Robin had the ability to make decisions and act upon them without hesitation, and also the knowledge of both the mechanical capabilities of her car and her own skills as a driver. Besides, after hunting dangerous witches all day long, breaking a speed limit here and there seemed safe enough by comparison.

Robin didn't know when exactly it started, but she and her partner had fallen into the habit of riding to work together in his sleek black Audi. She loved that car, it matched him perfectly- beautiful, dark, powerful, and a bit dangerous. She had many warm memories of riding with him in the car as his partner on their hunts, and when he'd finally let her sit in the front passenger seat instead of in the back. That was the day she knew he had accepted her as a full equal- she was no longer behind him, she was at his side, as his true partner.

She'd been riding next to him ever since.

Even when their fellow hunters were in the car, if Robin was along for the ride, that was always "her" seat. Her partner never hesitated to shoot an especially poisonous death glare to anyone else who forgot Amon's unspoken "front seat rule" and tried to usurp his partner's position.

Doujima, always the smartass, had helpfully "suggested" once that Amon have a brass plaque with Robin's name on it mounted on that seat, "so no one would forget". The dagger eyes she earned from Amon after that joke sent her running the other way with a terrified look in her eye and a shrill "eeep!"

Except for the few times when Robin had to be at work early, he always came by to pick her up. Today was one of those days when he'd been called in early by Director Kosaka. Amon was the STN-J field commander, so on the days when he had to go in early he would let her sleep until her regular time unless he needed her for an urgent case. It was a nice gesture, and Robin was grateful for any extra sleep she could get. She knew that he was not nearly so cold as he tried to portray. Robin felt privileged that she was the only one he trusted enough to show that side of himself to.

He was always doing little nice things like that for her- subtle things, but showing that he cared. Like getting one of her beloved espressos without her having to ask whenever he went to Harry's to pick up something for himself. Or unconsciously shielding her with his own body when they fought witches. Or that time when she went to work with the flu, and he had insisted on dragging her to see a doctor and then making her go back home when the doctor ordered her to bed, even though she didn't really think she was all that sick- a tad mother-hennish but very sweet none the less. Especially coming from a man who, according to office rumor, was the "world's only living heart donor".* In the years of working so closely with him however, Robin was convinced that her frosty, prickly partner and best friend on earth really was a softy after all, if only for her- he just hated to admit it. His little "secret" was safe with her.

Robin arrived at Raven's Flat and passed through the gate on the ground floor, waving to the guard on duty.

A few minutes later, she stepped off the elevator at the fifth floor. A chorus of cheery greetings were called out to her from her friends, but she had eyes for only one. Still, she responded in her usual polite way to everyone until she got to... him. Her partner was leaning against the far wall, shrewdly scanning their latest case file. She could practically see the intricate gears and cogs in his mind spinning as he pondered one of their more puzzling open cases.

Robin had always admired that relentless determination with which he did everything. When her partner was in work-mode, he was totally focused on that and nothing else. All superficial, external concerns melted away and his awareness sharpened with surgical perfection to the task at hand. That concentration allowed the dark hunter to accomplish things in both the mental and physical aspects of his job that had earned him a reputation as one of SOLOMON's best hunters- not just in Japan, but the world.

In the field Amon's senses were noticeably heightened, his reaction times faster, his movements the perfect combination of blunt power and targeted efficiency. In the office, that tightly coiled energy galvanized his mind, which always seemed to figure things out and make the right connections just a bit faster than everyone else. Not a single inch of motion was wasted, not the tiniest flicker of energy squandered. What would it be like to have that attention on her?

Amon looked up when she entered, his normally cool eyes warming ever so slightly in acknowledgement, hot white sparks kindling to life in their mercury depths. He hadn't said a word to her yet, but she knew he meant no offense by it. He was the quiet, thoughtful type. He kept his silence unless he had something important to say. Robin understood that as few others did, because she was the same way. His emotions were deeply hidden. The joke around the office was that he didn't have any, but she knew better. She just wished he would show her more of them- like his love, for example.

She knew she was still in love with Amon, she had tried to get over it, but couldn't shake this powerful attraction she felt for him. All she could do now was to protect her pride by not letting him know. It got harder all the time, hiding her feelings. Every time she saw him she wanted to touch him, to feel the heat and strength of his arms encircling her.

OK, so maybe she wanted a lot more than just that. The young witch nearly blushed as her thoughts took a decidedly more.. what was that Japanese word?.. ah yes.. ecchi... turn. Fortunately by now she was becoming slightly more accustomed to these feelings her brooding partner constantly stirred up in her, at least enough to tone her blushes down from the more embarrassing tomato-red version to a soft rosy tint that only served to make her look even more attractive. Robin fought the absurd impluse to fan herself, although she sure felt like she was burning up. But these flames were not those of her Craft, they were pure Amon. No one and nothing else could create such scorching, sweet heat within her heart and body.

It made her wonder again, if only the thought of him could drive her THIS crazy, then what would it be like to actually experience those daydreams in reality? The mere idea of it was enough to make Robin's heart accelerate and the breath she was holding exhale in a high, silent moan. She made a conscious mental effort to calm down before anyone, mainly Amon, noticed.

She hoped she would get the chance to find out the truth for herself. Soon.

"Good morning, Amon," she said to the tall, taciturn hunter, a soft smile gracing her lips.

She could have sworn he almost smiled back when he answered. "Ohayou, Robin."

She remembered everything they had been through together. After the fall of the Factory and the death of Zaizen, she and Amon went into hiding for a month until her stern guardian was sure they weren't going to be hunted. Once he was convinced it was safe they had returned to the STN-J and witch hunting, only now the use of Orbo was banned as a weapon, although the hunters still wore their Orbo pendants for protection. They weren't too happy about having to depend on the viscous green stuff now that they knew what it was, but the synthetic purple Orbo was still being tested and wouldn't be ready for field use for another six months. Without Orbo, the only choice left was to kill most of the witches they hunted if they wouldn't submit willingly. Robin hated having to kill, but since all the witches they went after were violent and/or insane, the use of deadly force was justified to protect the public at large. And she had to admit that at least it was more humane than the experimentation that was done on them at the Factory.

Robin sat at her desk, secretly studying Amon's chiseled profile as she pretended to work. That glossy, long black hair, his deep, beautiful eyes, that tall, strong body- he was so... beautiful. It seemed a strange word to describe a man, but "beautiful", although still woefully inadequate, was the closest word she could think of to describe his overall person. Somehow the word "handsome" just didn't seem like enough. There were no words in any language, in her opinion, that could do him justice.

She'd had an enormous crush on Amon ever since her arrival at the STN-J four years ago, from the first time she saw him. All it took was that one potent glance, that first time their eyes met as strangers in Harry's, and she was a goner. Something about those liquid silver eyes of his had captured her heart from the beginning. Robin bit back the lovelorn sigh that always threatened to escape whenever she was near Amon.

Upon learning who he was, Robin was secretly thrilled (and more than a little intimidated), that she would be assigned to such a gorgeous male. Robin had lived a cloistered life, saying her prayers and reading the Bible on a daily basis, surrounded by her grandfather and many elderly nuns and priests. Robin had never even had any experience with boys her own age to help her adjust to the opposite sex- she'd never even had any teenage friends at all, boys or girls, never even talked to a boy before! Then all of a sudden at the tender age of fifteen, the sheltered little convent girl was thrust into a foreign culture in a faraway country, and expected to be able to deal with a mature, vaguely dangerous, yet very attractive man who looked like he'd just stepped off a movie screen? Sure, no pressure there.

Poor Robin wasn't just intimidated, she was terrified! But she had also been determined to do a good job, to be professional even if most people would see her as little more than a child. Even in the face of her reluctant partner's constant criticism she had never let him see how much it hurt her. And it had hurt, in the beginning. She had been so desperate to impress him, to earn his respect as a partner. As she became more accustomed to his stony demeanor, Robin sensed that Amon's coldness was his way of dealing with the world, a shield of sorts. Eventually she began to understand that Amon really did respect her, and that he cared for her on some level.

Robin supposed something terrible must have happened to him in the past to make him want to keep everyone at arm's length. As his trust in her deepened, Amon had eventually told her more and more about his mother, her Awakening and insanity, and her death at the hands of hunters. Robin was honored to have his confidence, listening to his secrets and guarding them. So she had done her best at work, had always been there when needed, to show him she was reliable and capable, deserving of a place on the team. Now she knew Amon would do anything for her, he loved her dearly... as a friend, she reminded herself in disappointment. Still, it was a special relationship she had with him, although she would always long for more, Robin would always treasure her friendship with Amon even if that was all she ever got.

Amon was the living ideal of tall, dark, and handsome. Add to that his cunning intelligence, his leanings toward selfless heroics, and the nuances of genuine caring that occasionally shone through his cold armor- evidence that there really was a heart somewhere under all that frost!- and it was no wonder she'd fallen so hard for the man, in spite of his harshness to her when they first met. Her little girl infatuation didn't take long to grow into a woman's love as time went on, although she doubted he saw her as anything but a partner, and she hoped at least, his closest friend.

Little did she know how far off she was.


to be continued...
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*"the world's only living heart donor" is a line from the movie remake of "Sabrina", starring Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond.