Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

~RavensMind~

Day 1: "I can't lose you"

Would it ever end? Was it possible? Was that even something either of them wanted? Three questions Raven pondered as she sat at Robin's side in the Titans Tower infirmary. It took two years after the demise of the Brotherhood of Evil for Slade to return. He came with new recruits, new tactics, and there was no end in sight to their new war. Robin was as relentless as ever, doggedly pursuing his old enemy, and it was once again taking its toll on his health. His latest wounds nearly claimed his life, as Slade had all but crushed him in a one on one fight. He had lured Robin away from the rest of the team and neither emerged unscathed. Slade had all but crawled away, saved only by his Hive recruits swooping in to fight. The Titans came to Robin's aid at the last moment, finding him on the brink of death. Raven took hold of his arm and teleported them both back to the tower as Starfire, Cyborg, Terra, and Beast Boy took the Hive members down.

She had done what she could to heal him. In his state, it would take multiple rounds of her magic to completely undo the damage. He lay motionless on the bed, his breathing slow with an oxygen mask on his face. His uniform was in tatters and deep cuts could be seen across his body. He had been lucky, as all cuts had missed vital organs. Counting every bruise and slash only made her acutely aware of how close he had been to the end. Before, when she was bringing him to the tower, she had been scared by his condition, and now she was petrified that if they hadn't gotten there in another minute, it would've been far too late.

Her bond with him had only gotten stronger over the last couple years and neither of them were sixteen anymore. They'd both grown. He was taller than her by a couple inches now and had developed a bit more muscle. Her curves were more defined and she'd added another few inches to her hair. She felt like they'd grown closer and his presence alone comforted her more than she'd admit. At times, she thought he knew that.

Observing him now as he lay in such a dire condition confirmed something she had buried for a long time, she didn't believe she could live without him. Didn't think she would've survived her father's return if not for him, either. The rest of the team would always be there for her, she knew, but he had always gone that extra mile for her - with her. Some time after Robin and Starfire broke up, Raven had thought for a moment that maybe she could have a chance for something with him, but she couldn't allow herself to feel anything like that for anyone, so she let it go.

The ring of her communicator jolted her from her thoughts and she took a moment to breathe before she answered. Starfire's face filled the screen.

"Raven! How is Robin?" Starfire asked.

"Not good, he'll be out of action for a while, but he'll make it," Raven replied.

"I am relieved! We have been worried since you both left! I wished to give you the update on our efforts to stop the Hive. They left shortly after you did and they separated. We are attempting to locate them now, Slade and his people shall not get away with this! Please stay and help Robin, we shall call again with any news," Starfire explained.

"I hope you make them pay, but be careful. And of course I'll stay here," Raven said.

"Thank you, friend! I do not know what we would do without you, if you hadn't been there to get him away so quickly...I do not think he would still be with us," Starfire said, her voice nearly breaking at her last statement.

"Don't thank me, it's what we do. I hope you find Slade," Raven said.

"I shall let you know. Farewell, we shall speak again soon, I hope," Starfire said.

Hanging up, Raven went over to the IV drip she had prepared for Robin and checked to make sure it was properly set up. It had been a while since she had done this and Cyborg had walked her through it, he was always better with the medical equipment. Her powers typically served her better, but she'd need their support in dire situations. Everything was functional, all she could do was wait for his condition to improve.

A few torturous hours later, she permitted herself to get up and make herself some tea. She'd heard from Cyborg a few minutes before, the team was still looking, and they probably wouldn't be back until later that night. He sounded as determined as Starfire. She didn't doubt that they'd comb the city well into the early morning if not longer. They were willing to do anything for each other, and that wouldn't change. She brewed her herbal tea and added some honey to it, feeling like she could use something nice to boost her mood in any way. Scenarios kept playing out in her mind where Robin died before she could get to him, or he died without them being able to find him, or he was lost somewhere, or had been taken by Slade once again. Such waking nightmares fueled her emotions power and she was already mentally taxed.

Raven carried her cup back to the infirmary as quickly as she could without spilling it, though a few drops had fallen to the floor as she moved through the halls. She nearly dropped the cup when she entered the infirmary. Robin was awake, trying to take off the oxygen mask. She swiftly moved to his side, setting her cup down and helped him remove it. He struggled to find his breath and tried to sit up, but he fell back against the pillows. Their eyes met and she inwardly fell into the lake of her pent up emotions, it left her befuddled, unsure of what to say.

"Hey," Robin said weakly.

"Hi," Raven responded.

"How bad is it? Feel like I was out for a while," he said.

"Bad...horrible, actually. You're lucky to be alive," she said bluntly.

"What happened? With Slade?" he asked.

"Didn't you hear what I said? You nearly died," she replied.

"I know, but it doesn't matter, did we stop Slade?" he asked.

"No," she answered tersely, "he got away. The others are looking for him and the Hive members."

"I should've been faster, hit harder, I need to get better," he said.

"You did everything you could, and it's not like he walked away from your fight," she said, adamantly.

"He's still out there, we have to get him before he-," he started.

"Stop! Just stop," she exclaimed.

Robin went quiet. It was rare that Raven raised her voice, but it never ceased to command her friends' attention. She sat in the chair beside him and sighed, fighting to stay in control, and how to handle him. He didn't say anything. He wisely waited for her to continue.

"You almost died. There are more threats to the city other than him, if you die trying to stop him, you wouldn't be able to fight off anyone else. You need to take care of yourself," she said.

"I know...I-I'm sorry, I'm tired of losing to him, but you're right - I should take care of myself, it just doesn't feel as important, we need to stop the crime in this city," he said.

"You're important - to us...to me," she said softly, "none of it matters if you're gone."

He went quiet again as her eyes gradually welled up with tears. She sniffed and fought the terrible visions of his death from her mind, the last thing she wanted was for him to see her cry, to know how he made her feel. She had constantly told herself that neither of them could afford to get involved in any way. It didn't matter if she found him attractive or special, she shouldn't do anything about it.

"I'm important to you? Raven, what're you saying?" he asked.

"Nothing, forget it, I'll let you rest," she replied, getting up from her seat.

She almost made it to the door before he called after her.

"Don't leave...please?" he requested, "I wanna talk, I want to know what you mean...exactly what you mean."

She stopped and slowly turned to face him.

"You won't like it, I already don't, but I can't take it back now...I need you, Robin. I hate watching you throw your life away to stop these scumbags, but I know it's necessary. It's selfish and stupid for me to want you to stop. I don't know if we can ever stop. Whatever happens, I'll always be here, and I need you to be here too...I can't lose you," she explained, as more tears welled up in her eyes.

"I...need you too. I wouldn't still be here without you. Even when we thought everything was over fighting Trigon, you kept me going, I couldn't lose you either," he said, choking up a little.

"I didn't think you felt that way about me then, even now it feels wrong. I shouldn't've said anything," she said.

"No, I'm glad you did, I've wondered for a while. Now I know," he said, extending his hand.

It was a simple invitation. She could refuse and stay where she was, or leave - run from this as fast as part of her wanted. As scared as she had been of losing him, she feared what could come from her trusting any romantic feelings for anyone, especially him. He deserved better, how could she say that she was the right person for him? Still, he waited for her. Try as she might, she ultimately couldn't refuse, not him, and not in his current condition.

One slow step at a time, Raven returned to Robin's side, sitting beside him and setting her hand in his. He gave it a light squeeze and held it firm. Looking at him now with her emotions running wild, she couldn't hide the light red in her cheeks as they sat together. Part of her was still yelling for her to run. She'd made her choice, for better or worse, and trusted someone else with her heart for the first time.

"Thanks, for saving me. Pretty sure I owe you one...so what do you say we grab dinner together when I'm better?" he asked, "my treat?"

"I think I'd like that," she replied.

"You're uh, pretty cute when you blush," he said.

"Flatterer," she said with a chuckle.

Chapter Text

~RavensMind~

Day 2: Muscles

"Nothing keeps you from your routine does it?" Raven asked.

"Nope! Not if I can help it!" Robin said proudly.

Robin was lifting weights in the Titans gym when Raven had entered. She was almost surprised to see him back exercising so soon after his latest fight with Red X a couple nights ago. Red X had clocked him and left a gaping wound on his arm before getting away. Only Robin was on patrol that night, but Raven found him and got him back home inside a few minutes. Perks of teleportation powers and a mental bond. Healing him had been easy, the wound had closed quickly, but he would retain yet another scar all the same.

"Not even me?" she asked, gliding from the door to stand beside his weight bench.

"Hah! You sure are a great exception to that. Thought you were meditating," he said.

He got up from the bench and gave her a quick kiss before grabbing another set of weights. He was always happy to see her, getting to kiss her was even better. Was crazy to think that she'd only been his girlfriend for a few months. They were taking things slow, and that was fine by him, he wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible, so her emotions wouldn't overwhelm her.

"I finished," she said, giving him a small smile.

"So what're you doing here? Miss me? Here to stare at me while I work out again?" he asked.

He sat back down on the bench and started doing arm curls with his weights as they talked. He was taking it slow on the recently injured arm, but still going through his reps. She hadn't processed what he said at first as she had actually been watching him before she said anything. It was next to impossible for her to stop herself from admiring his physique as he worked to improve it. Not that he needed to, she was perfectly content with his slim, toned body. It wasn't his muscle alone that appealed to her, the scars that accompanied it showed that he'd used them well enough to survive, continuing to fight the good fight. She didn't want him to bulk up though; the muscle bound behemoth gym rats didn't appeal to her in the slightest.

"I wanted to do some yoga. And I've never stared at you while you work out," she protested.

"Yoga huh? Have I seen you do yoga? And yes, you have," he said.

"I don't usually do yoga around the rest of you. Prove I stare, boy wonder," she challenged.

"You know the mirrors in here work, right? Plus, you've blushed and looked away when I took off my shirt a few times," he said.

"I...fine, so I watched you, you're hardly unattractive. Any girl might stare, but don't think I never caught you doing the same," she said.

He paused his reps and looked up at her with a perplexed expression. While he had checked her out plenty of times, he never thought she noticed or would remember. She hadn't said anything or shown a sign that it registered. If she had, they might have started dating sooner. She was slender and mostly stayed that way. He knew she worked out, but it didn't usually show. He could tell in the firm muscles in her arms and strong, toned legs. It was rare that she showed off any other skin, he might see a bit when her leotard got torn in a fight, but one trip to the beach had him thinking about her for a week straight.

"Anytime my legs are crossed, or I lean forward, and there was the time at the beach when Starfire made me wear that strappy bikini and-," she rattled off, counting on her pale fingers.

"Alright, okay, you made your point. How come you never said anything?" he asked.

"Might ask you the same. I thought it would be too awkward and it wouldn't go anywhere. You were also dating Starfire at the time," she explained.

Her voice trailed off and he could feel her hesitation continuing the topic. She never really asked about his prior relationship with Starfire and he wondered if she was waiting for him to talk about it or if she knew it was between them and didn't think she needed to know. He wanted to put the past behind them, but sooner or later, his time with Starfire would come up again.

"We can talk about it if you want, I don't mind," he said.

"Maybe later. Not exactly the time," she said as she walked over to a mat in the corner of the gym.

"Okay," he said, setting down the weights he'd been using.

He watched her take off her cloak, belt, and boots, thinking that her in just a leotard was somehow better than seeing her in a tank top and yoga pants like so many girls he'd passed in the streets outside the gyms. He had to do a double take when she unzipped her leotard and stood in just her underwear. She walked to the mat and prepared for her first pose.

"You know the mirrors work in here, right?" she mimicked.

"I uh, yeah, haha, you got me. Why did you take off your uniform, or not change into something else?" he asked.

"The others are hanging out in the city, it's just us here, and I feel comfortable enough around you not to bother with more clothes. Unless, that is, you start getting ideas," she replied.

"You're fine if I stare, but not if I act on what I feel?" he asked.

"Pretty much, yeah. I know it doesn't make sense," she replied.

"Right. Guess if you're gonna do that, might as well do the same," he said with a teasing note in his voice.

"You don't have to-," she started.

She watched him in the mirror as he stood and stripped from his uniform down to his underwear and sat back on the bench with a different set of weights. She had to admit, he met every challenge she issued, whether it was intended or not. Her eyes wandered over him and she stumbled a little as she absent mindedly moved into different pose.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I-I'm fine," she replied.

"Distracting, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yes. More than usual," she replied, the words slipping from her mouth.

"I distract you usually, huh?" he asked.

"Shut up. You know you do, but I know I do the same to you," she replied.

"Right, but I'm not as good at hiding it as you are. You don't have to hide it anymore, you know? It's normal since we're dating," he said.

"I suppose. I've never dated anyone, I'm not always sure what's appropriate," she said.

"I can help, just talk to me if something comes up," he said.

"Right, I'll try," she said.

They went quiet and fell into their own routines, though neither really focused on their movements. Robin did more reps than needed and Raven was repeating poses out of order. Both were now acutely aware that the other was watching and enjoying the view. Any longer and the pent up frustration would prompt one of them to do something about it. Raven pushed away certain thoughts that arose as she watched him do squats and Robin fought off every mental image that forced its way into his head as she moved into a downward facing dog position.

It wasn't long before Robin set his weights down and walked over to Raven. She paused in her child's pose to look up, noticing the sweat glistening on his defined abs. At times he made her melt, and his almost playful expression matched with his appearance had succeeded yet again.

He would've done anything she asked in that moment, as her violet eyes sparkled looking up at him. Sweat gleamed down her back and her hair hung messily around her face.

"So, uh, since I think we're both too distracted to work out how we should, do you wanna go swimming or something?" Robin asked.

"Swimming sounds nice, as long as we don't run into Aqualad again. I swear he only shows up when something bad happens," Raven replied.

"I know what you mean," he said with a laugh.

"It's a relaxing swim though, don't strain your arm," she reminded him.

"Yeah, right, I won't," he said.

"I'll go change into my swimsuit. See you outside?" she asked.

"Yeah, meet you there," he replied.

Chapter Text

~RavensMind~

Day 3: Trapped

Crawling out of the downed section of the T Ship he'd been flying, Robin managed to stand in the deep snow, surveying the area around his crash site. Tall evergreen trees caked in snow loomed over him. A few trees had fallen, broken and splintered, to the ground when he crashed. The side of his head hurt a little and his arm was stiff, but he was okay otherwise. He turned back to the wreckage and anxiously searched for Raven. The two of them had broken off to pursue one of the alien fighters that had been terrorizing the skies in Jump City. Their pursuit had led them well away from the city and over the lush forests past the outskirts. Another fighter had flanked them and hit their ship. They went down and crashed amidst the trees, the fighters flying off, free and clear. It had been his idea to split up and he was kicking himself for suggesting it.

Robin pulled an unconscious Raven out of the ship and carried her from the crash site. She was breathing well and her pulse was steady, but she was mostly non-responsive. He set her down carefully up against a tree and walked around the area a little more. They had to find some kind of shelter or they'd freeze. There was little else but snow, trees, and brush in sight. Luck had it that the sun still hung high overhead, finding their way in the dark would've been impossible. He wasn't sure what he expected. They weren't near a town or city that he knew of and he hadn't seen anything when they had flown over the trees. He shivered and walked a little farther, keeping tabs on how far he went. Finding nothing in one direction, he tried another - and another - and another, but he had very little luck until he came to the top of a hill that overlooked the area.

He could see a small cabin amongst the trees below and made note of it, sighing with relief that he'd found something. It wasn't far and he figured he could carry her well enough. The walk had been more difficult than it seemed as he traversed snowbanks amidst trees carrying Raven, the stiffness in his arm making it worse. She was shivering in his arms and he was fighting off the chill too. The wind was picking up and it felt as though the weather would turn for the worse. Around him, it felt as though the trees stood as a judgmental audience to his progress. Pressing on, he made it to the cabin and set her down on the porch. Trying the door, he found it unlocked and entered. Aside from some base essentials, the place looked like it wasn't a genuine home. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw a packet on a low table below a window. It advertised the amenities offered by the cabin, which would be rented out to various campers in the forest.

Swiftly collecting Raven from the porch, he took her inside and laid her down on a soft, plush couch near a stone fireplace. At least they'd have heat. Food was another matter, but he was hoping they wouldn't be there long. He grabbed his communicator and called the other Titans. Only Cyborg picked up, saying that he had lost the fighters he had chased, he would regroup with Starfire and Beast Boy, and then come get Raven and himself when the incoming snow storm passed. Robin sent him the coordinates that were shown on his gps off to one side of the screen and hung up.

His attention turned to Raven, who hadn't budged since he'd brought her inside. He knelt down next to her and tried to gently prod her awake. He hoped she didn't have a concussion. She groaned and twisted on the couch, which made her wince. Her eyes opened slightly. Her dazed look worried him.

"How're you feeling?" Robin asked.

"Head hurts, leg is killing me, otherwise I think I'm okay," Raven replied, "what is this place?"

"A cabin I found after we crashed. No one lives here, it's a rental," he said.

"Lucky us. Others on their way?" she asked.

"Not yet. Snowstorm is moving in, they'll come get us when it passes," he replied.

"So we're stuck here. Wonderful," she said dryly.

"Could be worse. If I hadn't found this place, we'd be in trouble," he said.

"That's true. Are you hurt at all?" she asked.

"Head hurts like yours and my arm is kinda stiff, but I'm okay," he replied.

"Glad it's nothing too serious. And thanks...I take it you carried me, couldn't have been easy," she said.

"Don't have to thank me and that's not exactly the first time I've carried you," he pointed out.

"Starting to think you like it," she said.

"Has its moments," he said with a smirk.

"It does," she agreed.

"Like the night I carried you to bed, you wouldn't let go of me after I got in," he said, "had to break out just to get some water."

"Is that a complaint? You seem to like it when I'm...like that," she said.

"No, I like it! Just surprises me. You're not exactly the cuddly type," he said.

"First relationship, I'm learning things even I didn't know about myself," she said.

"In a good way, I hope," he said.

"Yes," she said with a small smile.

He returned her smile and then looked toward the stone fireplace set into the wall. It had some logs in it already. He walked over to see if it was actually wood burning or not, he assumed it was. There was a switch on the wall beside the stone and he flipped it. Fire sprang up beneath the logs and he snorted. Not exactly the authentic experience most would probably be looking for, but he was glad he wouldn't have to mess with it.

Returning to the sofa, he sat down near Raven's feet and glanced out the small window. Snow sprinted through the air in crowds, determined to cover the landscape. No question now, they'd be stuck where they were for a while. Raven sighed and groaned as she tried to pull her legs up closer to her, so he could move down.

"Which one hurts?" he asked.

"The left," she replied.

He ran his hand up her left leg, applying slight pressure until she hissed in pain when he touched just above her knee. He started gently massaging it, Raven making pained noises in response.

"Is this helping?" he asked.

"A little," she replied, "it's not broken or fractured, I think it's just sprained."

"You can't heal it yourself?" he asked.

"I could, but I don't want to go into my trance and let you manage alone," she replied.

"Don't worry about me, you need to heal up," he said.

"No, I'm not leaving you alone," she insisted.

"Okay, Ms. Stubborn," he said with a chuckle.

"You? Calling me stubborn? Very funny," she said dryly with the hint of a smirk.

"Gotta admit you like it," he said.

"Maybe...but so do you," she said.

"Maybe," he mimicked.

Both fell silent as he slowly massaged her injured leg. The cabin was warm now as they sat in the glow of the firelight. Despite the mild pain of their injuries, they managed to relax, slipping into casual conversation to pass the time. While stuck in a cabin in the middle of the woods as a blizzard tore through the area, neither truly felt panicked with the other present.

To say there was no one they'd rather be trapped with would be a gross understatement.

Chapter Text

~RavensMind~

Day 4: Jock and Goth

"Creeped out?" Raven asked.

"No, it's just different. Pretty nice spot though," Robin replied.

"Yeah. I come here once in a while. First time with anyone else," she said.

"So I'm special?" he asked.

"Well...yeah," she replied, with pink invading her cheeks.

"Uhh, awesome," he said, scratching the back of his neck, "you're special too. Don't let just anyone watch the game with me."

"I'm honored," she said with a dry laugh.

Perched atop a small hill, Robin and Raven were having a small picnic. They could look out over treetops and see their home, Titans Tower, set in the middle of the bay. Of course, they also had to look over the headstones scattered about in the grass. As a date went, it wasn't exactly typical by most standards; not many couples go to a graveyard for a picnic. It was Raven's idea and Robin had been skeptical at first, but the view was nice. The place was quiet enough where they wouldn't be bothered, unless someone raised the dead.

The food for the picnic was Robin's call. He swung by their favorite pizza place and grabbed two pizzas with their favorite toppings, along with a thermos of iced herbal tea for her, and a couple sodas for himself. He'd also brought a tablet to stream a hockey game that was starting soon. It wasn't Raven's thing, but she'd never really watched a game, she'd mostly seen the guys going crazy over football games or basketball games. She was surprised that he watched the games alone, given how much he liked betting and arguing with Cyborg and Beast Boy.

Sitting together on a red blanket over the soft grass, they were side by side, an inch or two apart, grabbing slices of pizza to eat.

"I don't think I've seen you watch hockey, or talk about it," she said.

"It's mostly because of the team. I watch all their games and I don't really pay attention to any others," he said.

"Why's that?" she asked.

"The team's from Gotham, I have some old prep school friends who play for them. Only way I can see them now," he said, frowning slightly.

"I don't really know what that's like. I didn't have any friends before I came here. I miss the monks of Azarath and my mother, but no one is wondering where I am," she said.

"Batman covers for me by saying I'm studying abroad, so they're not wondering where I'm at either. Thing is, they're jerks but I still miss them. Not sure how that works. Anyway, they're deciding what to do with their lives," he said.

"You don't think you have a choice?" she asked.

"Do I? Do you? We do what we do to protect and help people, we're needed. Cops can't take down criminals like Slade or Brother Blood without us," he said.

"Okay, fair. But let's say someone else can take over for us. What would you do?" she asked.

"Not sure...haven't really planned that out," he said.

"There's no 'maneuver seven five' or something for your life yet? Slacking, Robin," she joked with a half smirk.

"Hah hah," he said dryly through narrowed eyes, "I bet you don't have a plan either."

"Not yet. I guess I'll keep trying to make up for all the damage I've done, for who I am. Maybe help heal people in pain for hospitals or something," she said.

"Is that what you want though?" he asked.

Raven took a sip of her tea and a bite of pizza as she considered the question. She'd thought of what she'd do with her life when she first arrived on Earth before she joined the Titans, but hadn't found much. What charities and non-profits she'd heard of appealed to her, but at the time she was pretty young and still wary of getting into too much, concerned for her control of her powers.

She had no one to help her figure things out at the time. The Justice League had turned her away and she had no idea what she would do with herself. She still hadn't told Robin how they rejected her plea for help with her powers, deeming her a threat, and all but threatening exile. Some convincing got them to back off, only when she vowed to help however she could, and deal with the situation with her father when the time came.

The end of the Titans also meant losing the safety and support of the friends she came to regard as her family. She tensed up just at the thought of going back to wandering the world, trying to find her place where she could be accepted and help others. She finished off a slice of pizza and looked back at Robin, who had started the hockey stream and bit into another slice as he waited for her answer.

Maybe if things kept going well between them in their new relationship, she could join him, or would he go with her? She'd always have the mental link to him, but being physically apart wasn't appealing in the slightest. She liked him. She wasn't sure if she loved him yet but he was sweet to her regardless, boyfriend or not. She could probably accept that being enough for her if things didn't work out. She looked around at the various tombstones encircling the hill they sat upon, picturing the sheer magnitude loss they commemorated. Often crueler than death, life could take anyone and put part of them in a blender, then demand that unfortunate individual to go on without that piece of themselves. She could afford to lose what she had, but the sacrifice felt too massive.

"Yes...and no. I'd help where I could, but..well, there's some things that I don't think I could part with. Is that selfish?" she asked.

"No, it's been hard for me to do, but I think everyone should have a life outside of what we do. I like what I'm doing, and if I can't do it here anymore, I'll do it somewhere else. I'd still need time for myself though," he replied.

"I...don't think I could leave without you," she said.

Robin smiled at her and took her hand in his.

"Then you won't. Whatever happens, between us, or the team, I'll be with you," he said.

Chapter Text

~RavensMind~

Day 5: Bodyguards

Robin sat with his chin propped in his hand, staring out the rear passenger side window of a sleek, dark limousine, wondering when his team would be able to finish this mission. He was dressed somewhat casually, wearing a slate jacket over a black band t-shirt, blue jeans, and dark sunglasses that completely hid his eyes. To his dismay, he had to gel his hair differently, spiking it up just a little in the front while letting the rest of it hang in layers about his face. It was all in the name of disguise, but that didn't mean he had to like it. There were few perks to the mission, most notable was the girl sitting across from him.

Long black hair framed her pretty face. She sat, looking over a blue journal, making notes, her legs crossed. She wore a slim black pencil skirt and a tight dark blazer that accented a slightly low cut t-shirt that she had complained about any number of times as they planned the mission. Her now gray eyes gave him a questioning look as he absent-mindedly stared at her. Cyborg's ring had worked well, it had changed her skin to an average peach tone as well. Nobody could tell it was Raven. They tested her disguise on an unaware Beast Boy, who paid dearly for trying to hit on her when she walked past him as he stood in line at the movie theatre.

Only Robin and Raven had to get disguises, as the rest of the team would be standing by as back up, surveillance, and largely moral support. The brown-haired young woman sitting on Robin's right was the reason they were here. She was dressed in a violet tank top and jeans, trying to look as casual as possible.

One of Slade's associates had put a bounty on her head and every criminal wanted to collect. Morgan Young was the governor's daughter, only guilty of being just that. A recent piece of legislation introduced by the governor would restrict gun permits and ban all assault rifles in the state. Naturally, the criminal underworld didn't take kindly to the idea of new limitations. The Titans only had to protect her until either the legislation passed, or until her new security arrived, whichever came first.

Robin was undercover as Morgan's lazy, rich boyfriend and Raven was undercover as his personal assistant. The two Titans were having trouble acclimating to their cover, as Robin was anything but lazy, and Raven wouldn't be caught dead as someone else's errand girl. They were trying their best, but were still wishing for it to be over.

"You guys can talk, you know? I'm not gonna tell you to shut up," Morgan said with a smile.

"Oh, uh, sorry - was spacing out. You probably have questions?" Robin asked.

"Yeah. So, are you going to be around me twenty four seven, or just for most of the day?" she asked.

"As much as we can, you'll have at least one Titan keeping an eye on you if Raven or I can't be here for any reason," he replied.

"Okay. That makes me feel better, but it'd be nice to have a little privacy. I don't like a lot of attention," she said.

"We can give you some space if you ask," he said, "just not too much."

"Right, thanks. And so, how will this work? You acting like my boyfriend, I mean? We'll probably have to do some PDAs, right?" she asked.

Raven's eyes snapped from her notebook to Morgan, the faintest hint of contempt emanating from them, which Morgan thankfully didn't notice. Raven wasn't happy with the mission in general, but this part of Robin's chosen role was awful. She'd argued with him over the idea for a week before she admitted that it would be necessary for the cover to be believable. It would not be exactly easy to watch her boyfriend kiss someone else. Even for the good of a mission.

"Yeah. We don't have to do it constantly, just here and there - anything to make it look real," he said.

"I was kinda all over my last boyfriend...press gave me shit for it, but it's how I am," she said, "so I don't know if doing it just a little would pass."

"I guess that makes sense...it just makes things uh, complicated," he said.

"Why's that?" she asked.

Robin looked from Morgan to Raven. He could feel the slight tick of anger pass across their bond. He wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for the urgency of close protection and ensuring the enemy wouldn't know they were there. If they had a name, this might not be necessary, they could just hunt them down and put them away, but they had little to go on for that. One hiccup was that nobody knew that he and Raven were dating, even their friends hadn't been told. They were private people and it wasn't anyone's business. He'd have to say something, otherwise Morgan would see Raven's quiet seething would be directed at her for no reason.

"If you'll keep it to yourself, I'll tell you," he replied.

"I can do that," she said.

"Raven and I are dating," he said.

"Oh...oh, wow, then you're right, this'll be complicated, and you both knew it would be, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, we did, and we've talked about it," he replied.

"My condition was simple: not often," Raven chimed in.

"I guess I can work with that. And I'm really sorry, Raven, I promise I'm not going to try and take him from you. Though you've got quite a catch, my friends would die if they knew it was him I was kissing. They're already jealous," Morgan said.

"I appreciate it. And yes, he is a catch, even if sometimes he makes me think I'd like to throw him back. That's very rare though," Raven said.

Robin frowned as the girls laughed. They continued to talk and Raven threw some more jabs in at his expense - no doubt her ongoing revenge for having to suffer through her role.

This was going to be a long mission.

Chapter Text

~RavensMind~

Day 6: "I'm not in love with (x). I'm in love with you."

Regret? Hurt? Both words hung amidst Raven's emotions. The feelings of deep frustration and somberness were keeping her rooted where she sat - in the darkness of the cafe she loved. Rather than grabbing a seat near the front of the stage where people would read their poetry, she was buried in the shadows, far from the door and the microphone. So far, two cups of herbal tea had done nothing to make her feel better. What would make her feel better? What would fix her situation with a certain green changeling? Fuck, he had pissed her off so much that she was surprised she could still feel this upset.

Agreeing to date him had been a massive step for her, allowing herself to feel emotions she had been denied for so long. She thought he'd loved her, even while she couldn't say if she loved him yet or not. Ultimately, he had grabbed her emotions, held them tight, and then jumped off a cliff. He was insensitive, thoughtless, and immature. So many of his comments had stung, their dates had been focused on him, and Raven had taken a peek in his mind to discover something that drove her away: he'd been thinking of Terra on every date. The worst part was that she'd been hiding her hurt from the rest of the team. Only one person had the link to her that wouldn't let her lie to him.

Robin.

Raven had tried to shrug him off, tell him that things would probably get better, but eventually he wore her down. One day, as they sat on the roof together, she'd told him everything. By the end of her tirade, Robin was as incensed as she was, but he kept that in check and talked through things with her. He couldn't tell her what she should do, he'd had enough problems with Starfire. He told her to trust herself, then said he'd talk to Beast Boy if she wanted. She didn't want to get him involved, and made him promise to keep things between them. Things started to look up for her and Beast Boy for a while after that, as she'd talked through some things with him, but they quickly dipped again. Cyborg and Starfire were aware that something was off and tried to step in, but Raven calmed their fears. She didn't want everyone to know how awful she felt.

When Raven had more issues with Beast Boy and she was still trying to figure out what she should do, she went to Robin. He was the only one she trusted with this. She thought she could trust Beast Boy, but he'd used some of what she'd said against her, trying to win her over on stupid things. When she wasn't sniping at him, she was rolling her eyes at another lame joke, checking the time as he played at the arcade, or trying to read as he pestered her to watch a boring movie. Over time, she said less and less to Beast Boy, choosing to talk to Robin instead. She was shutting down and he was doing whatever he could to keep her from dragging her emotions back into their cage. He argued that she shouldn't dismiss what she felt so easily, that it wasn't just about Beast Boy. She snapped back and said that he ignored his own emotions just as frequently, that he would rather deal with Slade than deal with them. That heated argument in her room raged on for what felt like an hour.

A kiss had ended it.

She didn't know what had gotten into her, but it felt right, it felt good, and she thought that he would push her away and this would be her fault, but no. He… kissed back.

Of course, he did leave almost right after, saying 'sorry' and excusing himself, and he couldn't have been more flustered about it. She muttered 'sorry' as well and let him go, despite herself.

So, here she was, trying to figure out how to deal with the messy situation. She was dating Beast Boy, but she had strong feelings for Robin, and he was dating Starfire, yet he apparently had feelings for her. There were several answers, but none of them were great. She opted to order another cup of tea as she thought things through.

rrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrr

Robin entered the quiet cafe, seeking Raven. He knew she was there, but not precisely where. It didn't help that the place was so dimly lit, he almost reached for the flashlight in his belt. A waitress carrying a small clipboard, looking like she just came from a shift working at the goth outlet store, approached him and asked for his seating preference.

"I'm looking for someone. Is Raven here?" Robin asked.

"She's in the back. She looks pretty sad too. I didn't know she could be sad," the waitress said.

"She looks sad?" he asked.

"Yeah, like, actually sad. What happened?" the waitress asked.

"It's a long story, could you take me to her?" he asked.

"Yeah, guess so. Do you want anything to drink, or...?" she asked.

"Nah, I'm fine," he replied.

The waitress led him over to the table in the back, which was secluded and almost separate from the rest of the cafe. Raven looked up in mild surprise as Robin walked up with the waitress.

"Can I join you?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure," Raven replied.

He sat down and the waitress left them alone. Robin coughed and leaned back in his seat, trying to find the best way to start off the conversation. He'd done a lot of thinking since they'd kissed and he figured something out. It had been a horrible decision to make and he knew it was going to hurt. He didn't feel like he had a choice, he had to do what he felt was right. Raven didn't deserve having her emotions played with and neither did Starfire. He just didn't want to hurt either of them, but it was inevitable now. They couldn't just act like nothing happened.

"Hey, so uhh, about what happened—" he started.

"It was my fault, you don't have to apologize," she said, "I should apologize, to you and to Starfire."

"No, that's not—I mean, there's something I have to tell you," he said.

"Okay...I'm listening," she said.

"I've thought about this a lot...and I don't know how this is going to affect you, but...I'm not in love with Starfire, I'm in love with you," he confessed.

Raven sat in stunned silence. Robin hoped he hadn't made a huge mistake, the last thing he wanted was to drive her away. He owed her his true feelings, as she had trusted him with hers. He would wait for her response, wouldn't try to use their bond to see what she might be thinking, or read her body language.

She looked down into her mug of tea, her fingers shaking on the handle. Her eyes closed and she took a few deep breaths. He resisted the urge to reach across the table and take her hand to help steady her. It wasn't his place to push her in the difficult topic he'd thrust them into, now feeling some regret for it.

"I'm...I think I'm confused. I don't know what's right here. Beast Boy's been an ass and you've been...sweet, but I'm still wrong for kissing you while dating him, and now...even if you hadn't said anything, it's complicated," she said.

"I know. Wasn't sure if I should say it, but… you made me promise to be honest with you about my emotions or feelings, because of our bond," he said.

"Yes. And you were right to tell me, but it doesn't make this any easier," she said.

"What're you feeling? Or thinking?" he asked.

"Like I said, confused. I… liked kissing you, spending more time with you. At some point I liked Beast Boy, but maybe this just proves that I shouldn't be with him… like I've been an idiot… and wasted his time and mine," she replied.

"People break up and sometimes it's really for the best. I can't tell you what to do, but you should probably talk to him, and I'll talk to Starfire," he said.

"I suppose you're right. I'm assuming you want to talk later, too?" she asked.

"Yeah, that okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Okay. Guess I'll head back to the tower so you can finish your tea and relax a little," he said.

She nodded and watched as he got up from his seat and started to leave, but then he spoke to her over his shoulder.

"I, uh... liked kissing you too," he said quickly, then walked to the door and left.

Raven blushed and wondered if things would work out, hoping that she and Robin hadn't made a massive mistake that would have long standing repercussions for the team.

Chapter Text

A/N: This week has flown by so fast and I hope it has treated you well. I hope you've found a lot of good reads and admired the many pieces of fan art that have come out of this. I appreciate all the reviews as always! I wish would let me respond to them without doing pms. I'll just say that any awkwardness from some prompts is intentional and I know Jock and Goth could've been better structured, but it's what my brain let me write that day, lol.

Sadly, we've come to the end...

However, this will not be the last one shot in this small collection from me.

Bonus chapter tomorrow!

~RavensMind~

Day 7: Jealousy

Camped out on the couch, Robin sipped on a large mug of coffee, second-guessing his decision to have started making another pot. He'd been up all night, partially because he wanted to look into a case they were dealing with, but mostly because it was Raven's night to patrol the city and he knew she'd spent part of it hanging out with that goth boy she'd met a few years back when Blackfire introduced her thieving self to the Titans. While he knew Raven had been friends with the guy since then, as they got older, he was concerned that it might've gone beyond friendship. It worried him primarily because Raven's emotions were the last that should be played with and the fallout could destroy more than a relationship if things went south.

He'd never admit the secondary reason he was concerned. He'd been having trouble fighting the notion of it, the idea that it was true. Acknowledging it would be dangerous for the team's stability, or so he believed. There was little evidence to contradict it, so it might as well serve as the truth, and it would have to be good enough. Secretly, he envied the goth boy that was getting one on one time with Raven in the dead of night when she should be patrolling. It had been happening more frequently lately, and when he'd asked Raven about the guy, she refused to divulge what she knew of him, so he looked into his background.

The boy's name was Alexander Bell, currently age eighteen, senior at Jump High, two-point-five GPA, history of marijuana abuse, known to pig out on cherry yogurt in the mid afternoon. Okay, so he may have gone a little far in his investigation, but he wanted to be thorough. He was armed with plenty he could use to try and convince Raven that she shouldn't be seeing this guy, but he refrained. He walked the line between thinking he should asserting his leadership role in getting her to stop for the sake of what her powers would do if her emotions got out of control and not wanting to do it as she could make her own choices as to who she dates and didn't want any aspect of his jealousy to infect things.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doors to the living room sliding open. He turned around and smiled at Raven, who looked a little haggard, but not dead to the world.

"Hey," she said, as she glided over to the kitchen.

"Hey. So, everything okay?" he asked.

"Hmm?" she asked, as she pulled her own mug out of the cabinet.

"Patrol? Anything to report?" he asked.

"Oh. I stopped a couple muggers, returned a stolen purse, and stopped an attempted robbery at a jewelry store. Nothing too interesting," she replied.

"Sounds like a slow night," he said.

"Yeah, could've been worse," she said, as she started making tea.

"Anything else happen?" he asked, trying to sound as casual as he could.

"Not really. City's pretty dead after one a.m.," she replied.

"Right," he said.

He watched as she went through the steps of making her tea. He wanted to say something, at least to get her to talk about it. This had been going on for a while and she never said anything, but neither had he. Confronting her rarely ended well, but if he wasn't going to do it, who would? Every one of them had to be focused on patrol and she was no exception. If they all got away with this, there were plenty of chances for criminals to thrive and succeed.

"You should really stop meeting him on your patrol nights," he said.

Her hand froze as she was reaching for a tea bag and she sighed softly. She combed a hand through her violet hair and turned on her heel to face him. She didn't look annoyed or irritated, but she wasn't pleased either. Better reaction than he had anticipated so far.

"His shifts have been weird lately, haven't been able to see him much. If you've known I've been spending time with him on patrol, why're you only bringing it up now?" she asked.

"I was hoping you'd tell me yourself. You're my second in command, I trust you with more than the others, and you know how this looks," he replied.

"I know. I guess I didn't expect it to get out of hand," she said.

"It's okay, but it has to stop. He's not worth the risk," he said.

"And you know this how?" she asked.

"I'm just-I'm saying in general, Raven," he replied.

"No, I don't buy it... You investigated him, didn't you?" she asked.

"It was for your benefit," he replied, "he's not as good as you think he is."

"How good do I think he is? You can't exactly know what I think of him," she pointed out.

"I know enough," he said, "you're spending all this time with him, it seems pretty clear."

"What I think of him isn't your business," she said, as she spun around and went back to making her tea.

"Unfortunately, it is," he said with a small frown.

He hadn't wanted to have to address this part of the issue with her, he had hoped she would see the situation for what it was, what it meant for her. Her strong emotions were a risk as far as they all knew and he wasn't about to let things explode and have the debris cover them in guilt for not acting sooner.

"If you're in a relationship with him, your emotions are a risk to more than just you or him," he said firmly.

She visibly tensed, but kept her back to him, staying silent. He rose from the couch and walked over to the kitchen, standing at the island, watching her from behind. He waited to see if she'd respond. They had to have this conversation, it was out in the open, and whether for their own benefit or the team's, they needed to address the issue.

"I'm not dating him," she said flatly.

"Wait, you're not?" he asked.

"No. He and I went out once, a few years ago, but that's all. We're just friends," she replied.

"Oh, uh, well you still shouldn't be hanging out when you're on patrol," he said.

"Right, I won't, I'll just hope his schedule changes," she said.

"Okay. Sorry if I upset you, but we needed to deal with this," he said.

"Yeah, I know," she said.

He nodded to himself and went back to the couch, glad it was resolved, and hoping that she wouldn't hold it against him for too long. She would calm, but it took her more time to do so. He sat down and grabbed his coffee, taking a sip before opening his laptop and started scrolling through a report from the Jump City PD about crime statistics. He was halfway through the second paragraph before he felt a slight, very faint prodding in his mind he might not have noticed if he had been more engaged. He felt it whenever Raven used their bond to check how he was feeling. They did it once in a while after they'd had a bad argument or one of them was avoiding the team. Neither really went further than that, except if absolutely necessary. This felt like more than just a check, but not an invasion of his thoughts.

She strode over from the kitchen with her tea and sat beside him. She had gotten tense again and seemed anxious, or nervous. It was always hard to tell with her, as her emotions were so rarely expressed. He'd gotten better at interpreting her cues, but he was by no means perfect.

"I guess...there's something else we need to talk about," she said.

"What is it?" he asked, looking up from the laptop.

"You're jealous, aren't you?" she asked.

It was his turn to freeze up and he nearly dripped coffee over his keyboard. It was pointless to lie to her, especially given that she likely knew some of his feelings.

"Yeah, I am. Can't really help it lately. Seems like we don't hang out as much anymore, or if we do, we get interrupted," he said.

"True, but it's more than that...isn't it?" she asked.

"I uhh, I think so," he replied quietly, looking down, then back at his screen.

"I see...so, what do you want? I can't say I'm not curious," she said, biting her lip.

"Wanna go with me to the movies this weekend?" he asked.

"That sounds...nice," she replied.

They smiled at each other, then sat back against the couch, drinking out of their mugs, as Raven grabbed a book and Robin went back to his laptop, both anxious while trying to act as casually as they could. He didn't want to say more that might make her change her mind and she didn't need to deal with more emotions this early.

The weekend couldn't come soon enough.

Chapter Text

~RavensMind~

Day 8 Bonus

"It was one kiss, I don't think it was that big a thing," Robin said.

"Not a big thing? This is Raven we're talking about, right? It's huge. How are you sitting on this?" Speedy asked.

"I don't know what it meant and the last thing I want is to mess with her emotions, since those powers of hers are unpredictable sometimes," Robin said.

"So you haven't tried to talk to her about it?" Speedy asked.

"No," Robin said.

"You should. Hang on, I'm gonna get another beer, you want one?" Speedy asked, getting up from the table.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Robin said.

Robin watched after Speedy before he disappeared behind the throng of people between the tables and the bar. He and Speedy were hanging out at their favorite bar in Jump City after Titans East came over for a meeting of sorts with Robin's team. The others were all off doing their own thing either back at the tower or somewhere in the area in their own groups. It had been a while since Robin had seen Speedy and they were just catching up, kicking back, and enjoying the day.

Their conversation had shifted from comparing various favorite weapons and fights they'd gotten into with criminals to music and motorcycles, then onto the subject of girls. Speedy had already been one upping Robin in the conversation about fights, so Robin told Speedy something he had yet to share with anyone else: that he had kissed Raven on the roof after she had apologized for her part in an argument they'd been having. What happened next was the important piece: she had kissed back.

Neither Robin nor Raven had mentioned it to anyone else, or spoken of it, and it had been several weeks since. It had been preying on his mind for some time and he could only imagine what it was doing to her. She had acted differently around him in a few small ways that he picked up on after a few days. If the team were going to sit on the couch, she would sit next to him. If he didn't go up to the roof in the morning or evening, she would find him in the kitchen and join him. If he locked himself up in the evidence room to go through things, she would check in on him.

He also found himself behaving differently. If they were fighting a criminal, he would try to look out for her first. If she had shut herself in her room early, he would check on her. If she had been too quiet that day, he would try to stay up and talk to her after the others had gone to bed. They would both catch the other's eye and smile every now and then. He hadn't thought much of it at first, but as time went on, he thought of her more and wondered where things could go.

Speedy reappeared from the crowd of people with two glasses of beer. He sat back down across from Robin and passed him a glass.

"Thanks," Robin said with a smile, taking a sip.

"No problem. So what are you going to do, you know, about this thing you have for Raven?" Speedy asked

"I don't know if I do," Robin said.

"You kissed her, you've saved her from hell, you really believe in her, so I'm pretty sure you do. Look, I know things didn't work out with Star, but that doesn't mean the same thing will happen with every other girl – even Raven," Speedy said before he took a drink.

"Yeah, I just don't want to make the same mistakes. I don't want to jump into this without being sure, for her sake more than mine. I want the best for her," Robin said.

"And you don't think that could be you?" Speedy asked.

"Maybe," Robin said, taking a sip of his beer.

"Then why kiss her? Why are you still stressing about this? You think it could be you, and you're worried she might agree."

"Say you're right. What do I do?"

"Find something that tells you otherwise, if it's her or not. You could ask around, see if I'm not the only one that thinks you should go after her. Or you could be smart and skip it, just go tell her you're interested."

"I'll ask her about our kiss, then see what our friends think, and go from there. Just to be sure."

"Always going for the careful attack strategy," Speedy said with a chuckle.

"It's the smart way to plan. Helps my team avoid getting turned into a house of cards while Mumbo Jumbo makes off with a vault of cash," Robin said, laughing.

"Hey, it was my first time leading Titans East, give me a break. We caught him didn't we?"

"Sure, but it didn't have to turn out that way, it could have gone smoother," Robin said.

RRrrRRrrrrrrrrrrrrr

In the late evening, on the edge of the roof of Titans Tower, looking out across the dark water, Raven stood against the sunset as she watched it sink into the depths beyond the bridge. She smiled quietly to herself as the wind lightly kicked up a little and blew softly against her figure. Her cloak was flowing behind her, leaving her legs bare and unshielded. The moment caught her in a feeling of peace and her thoughts turned to the events of the day being out with Starfire, Terra, Jinx, and Bumblebee. She pushed these thoughts aside and let the sensation of her breathing fill her focus. It hadn't been the lazy day she was hoping for as she had to be the mediator for a number of pointless arguments between a few of the girls while they were out at the mall.

What was left of the day was hers now, she wanted to make it as peaceful as she could manage. Only a handful of things could improve it, but none were readily available. Just as Robin dwelled on their kiss on the roof, very near to the spot where she now stood, she thought of it too. Her emotions had latched on to the memory and spun it this way and that. She wouldn't dare bring it up in conversation with him, she was afraid of what he might push her for, but assumed he would talk about it in time.

He had surprised her in that he hadn't mentioned it at all. It would have made her upset had she not sensed what he was feeling in all the times since that they had been near each other. He was wrestling with what it meant just as much as she was and he was doing his best to show her he wasn't ignoring her without going over a line. She was doing the same thing. It was inevitable, though, they would talk about it at some point.

Looking down below toward the rocks, she noticed Beast Boy walking along the shore with Terra, Aqualad, and Bumblebee. They were talking and throwing stones. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but could tell they were having a good time. On her way up to the roof, she had passed Cyborg and Jinx in the hall with Starfire, on their way to meet Speedy and Robin in the living room. Preparation for game night, no doubt. Glancing at her feet and shutting her eyes, she sensed someone else on the roof. Try as he might, even Robin couldn't sneak up on her. She sighed and lifted her head, her eyes shifting to look beside her.

"Shouldn't you be helping Cyborg set things up?" Raven asked, her voice startling Robin.

"Things are so nuts down there I doubt they'll notice I stepped out," Robin said as he approached her, "Besides, Mas and Menos already did most of the work."

"Nice of them. Did you and Speedy go for drinks?" Raven asked.

"We did, wish you could have joined us," he said, stepping into her view beside her.

"Me too. Better than playing referee for the drama squad," she said dryly.

"Come on, it couldn't have been that bad," he said.

"Imagine a swarm of bees flying into each other headfirst continuously, right next to you ear, all day. It was pretty annoying," she said.

"They seem fine now."

"Only because they ran out of steam…and a few sales distracted them."

"Did you get anything?"

"Aside from a massive headache? A few books and a pair of black boots."

"At least you found something nice."

"Yeah."

"Maybe you could show me later?"

"If you'd like," she said with a soft smile.

"I would," he said, returning a smile.

There was a silence between them as they looked out over the water. The sun had dipped further. The group of Titans below them had started heading back inside, still tossing rocks. Robin shifted nervously, swallowing and taking a deep breath. He slowly counted down from ten in his mind. She felt him tense a little and looked over to him. He flashed a smile before taking on a serious expression.

"So, I'm really sorry for not talking to you earlier after it happened, I just didn't know what to do, I still don't, but uh, I need to talk to you about our kiss," Robin said.

"I was wondering when you might bring that up, among other things," Raven said.

"Yeah, I was kind of hoping you would bring it up first," he said.

"If I had initiated it, I may have."

"But you kind of did."

"You kissed me."

"And you kissed back."

"So, we were supposed to bring it up later at the same time?"

"No. We should have talked about it after, together. I was hoping we could figure this out."

"That's not…exactly what I was hoping for, but it was related."

"What were you hoping for?"

"Another kiss."

He turned to face her, surprised. It took him a few moments to process. He had gone over the responses he thought he might get from her if they had this conversation, he didn't expect that this would be the one he would get. She turned and faced him slowly, her cheeks were faintly red. He smiled and took her hand in his.

"Really?' he asked.

"Yes. I was almost expecting one given how we acted toward each other after it happened. It isn't something I should want, though," she said.

"Why not?"

"I shouldn't be kissing anyone, let alone you, it's a risk for me, for what my emotions may do with my power."

"We kissed and your powers didn't react. Maybe there are emotions you can trust after all."

"It's possible, but neither one of us knows for sure. I mean, is this…is this even something you want?"

"I don't know yet, I'm worried about repeating what happened with Starfire. I don't want to jump into something without being sure, and I really don't want to hurt you. After everything that's happened to you, you deserve the best."

"That's…really sweet," she said with a smile, "I don't feel like we would be jumping into this with no idea of what to expect. For one thing, I'm not Starfire. I wouldn't try to act like a girlfriend…I would be your lover, your girlfriend, and I wouldn't stop being your best friend for a second."

With a smile, he squeezed her hand and gently pulled her closer to him.

"Does that help?" she asked.

"More than you know," he said, his gaze shifting from her eyes to her lips.

"I um, need to read a few things to see if I can find out if I can allow myself to trust these emotions," she said, biting her lip as she looked from his masked eyes to his lips.

"And you'll let me know if you find out?" he asked, leaning in a little.

"That... may depend on you," she said softly.

"Oh, and how's that?"

"Would you be willing to kiss me then?"

"Maybe, but what's wrong with now?" he asked, leaning in, his lips inches from hers.

"Nothing," she said, her eyelids slowly falling over her eyes.

They slipped into the warm pool of sweet emotion as their lips met, treading in the gentle, deep water of passion. He held her tight against him as her hands trailed down his shirt. She parted her lips and let his tongue mingle with hers, wanting the deepest kiss possible. His grip on her softened, then he surprised her by lifting her up, his hands sliding from her back to the backs of her thighs, wrapping her pale legs around him.

That kiss was the start of a very good night for them and the perfect start to their new relationship together.