A/N: I wrote this AU a while back, and then a sequel for RobRae week shortly after. I figured I'd share it on here, too. Dedicated to Lilac Shimmer; I hope you enjoy this!
Carousel
"I'm going to fight this," she seethed through gritted teeth, slamming the file of papers angrily against the desk. "There's no way in hell he can give me this grade and get away with it!"
To say that she was fuming would be an understatement.
Raven was on the dangerous path to murder. Her hands were shaking from the fury of the emotion.
A comforting hand was then suddenly on her shoulder, steadying her, and bringing her back to a semblance of reality. Leave it to Kory to remind Raven that homocide, no matter how tempting, was never a viable option.
"I know that English is your favourite course, but Raven, arguing with the TA isn't always the best idea," Kory warned her softly, not unsympathetic to her plight.
Raven was shaking with rage. It was all she could do not to crumple up all her hard work into a ball, and toss it towards the wall. She'd never admit it, but tears burned the backs of her eyes, yet she refused to cry in front of anyone.
He was going to change the grade, and she was going to make him. She wouldn't leave his office until he did. Kory rubbed her back affectionately, not knowing how else to soothe the distraught girl.
"This is going to ruin my overall grade! This paper is worth over forty-five percent of the final mark, and my GPA will be done for!" Raven snarled, her lips curled back as her jaw clenched.
"I understand," Kory conceded, running gentle fingers through her best friend's short, silken hair. "I will go with you, if you like, as moral support."
Always the enduring best friend, there wasn't anything the red-haired vixen wouldn't do for Raven when she needed her most. Especially when it concerned their grades and performance in school. Both of them had a lot riding on scholarships, and to lose any of them would mean a likelihood of dropping out entirely.
So, together, they marched towards the TA's office, as the room number had been written and highlighted in their course manual, and mentally prepared themselves for a brutal standoff.
With jitters and nerves, they both stood outside the daunting office door, and Raven carefully raised her fist to knock against the wood. She had steeled herself, told herself that she deserved better than this, and she'd even taken to fix her clothes so that she looked the proper part. She would be taken seriously this time around.
"Come in," came a deep, male voice from the other side.
Raven gulped, her mouth feeling parched. She then looked to Kory, who promptly gave her a reassuring nod and a thumbs up, her eyes like green pools of shimmering hope.
Everyone knew that sometimes, arguing with a TA about a grade could result in an even lower grade, and with the entire faculty backing the teaching staff, there was no way a student would win that fight. Raven was taking a huge risk, especially considering who her TA was.
With a sweaty, apprehensive hand, Raven turned the knob and opened the door, ready to face her fears.
She stepped inside the little office cubby where three designated, separate desks were carefully allotted their own spot in the otherwise average sized room. Three desks. Three TAs.
However, only one was currently available, and Raven had to do all she could to not turn tail and run.
The man seated at the disorganized table before her was none other than Richard Grayson.
Not Raven's TA.
Not the one who had marked her paper and given her such a horrible grade. It had not been Mr. Grayson's red pen that had decorated every single page of her work, and it had not been him that had made her nearly burst into a fit of angry and bitter tears.
He had not nearly ruined her life.
Currently, Mr. Grayson appeared as dishevelled and devilishly handsome as he was known to be. Dimples, a crop of unruly, obsidian hair, and eyes as blue as a summer sky, had a somewhat detrimental effect on the fairer sex lucky enough to be a part of his sessions.
Raven stiffened; she had been prepared for a fight, but not against her own raging hormones.
Mr. Grayson was currently too busy sifting through the mess of papers that littered his desk to really notice her appearance, chewing nervously on the butt end of his pen, and running thick fingers through his already ruffled hair. Raven tried not to stare at the thick, corded muscles of his forearms, so gloriously on display as he'd rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt.
She'd never been lucky enough to have had him as an English TA. All she could do was often survey the back of his head in class, while the professor lectured on about the content.
It was a lovely sight, she'd begrudgingly deduced. Richard Grayson was a distraction that Raven did not need, and thus, in many ways, she considered it a blessing that the back of his head was all that she mostly saw.
Still, standing in such sudden close proximity to him now, clutching her crumpled papers to her chest, she hated the way her heart beat maddeningly against her ribcage.
Nerves.
She told herself it was all just nerves.
Raven knew she should have turned and left; there was nothing Mr. Grayson could do about her paper without her TA's permission anyways.
"Sorry, I'm a little bit overwhelmed here," he started explaining, robbing her of the brief opportunity she had to escape. "Please, have a seat. I'm covering for the others tonight, so I can answer any questions you might have." He motioned towards the chair beside him, still somewhat adorably frazzled by all the work he had to catch up on.
When his warm blue eyes fell on her at last, Raven felt a creeping heat move up her neck, and towards her face, and she was forced to avert her gaze to the floor.
Since when did she ever resort to being so pathetic around an attractive male?
"I-If you're busy, I can come back tomorrow," she answered meekly, looking for any excuse to flee.
He waved her concerns away easily enough. "Not at all. Sit, please," he insisted, smiling at her until his dimples were prominent.
Slowly, with shuffling feet, she closed the distance between them, all the while looking everywhere but directly at him. She then sat down in the chair next to him, painfully aware of the way his knee brushed hers no matter how much she tried avoiding it. The long-legged bastard couldn't sit normally in his seat to save his life.
Raven tucked a strand of her hair nervously behind her ear.
Words.
She was supposed to be good with words.
Wasn't that the whole point she had come to argue?
Mr. Grayson cleared his throat. "I take it you have a question about the papers?" He pointedly eyed the accused item currently tucked away beneath her arms.
Raven nodded curtly, placing her work gingerly on the table before him.
The angry red mark declaring the awful grade she'd received stared back at the both of them, and ignited her anger anew.
Richard took in a deep, heavy breath. Judging by the prominent lines around his mouth, he was exhausted. "Let me guess; Harper's student?" Mr. Grayson scoffed, picking up her essay and examining the handwriting with a scowl. His dark brows knitted together in agitation.
Again, she nodded.
Her hormones had effectively rendered her a mute.
Richard sighed. "You aren't the first one to come to me about this, you know. It seems Harper marked everyone harshly, and I've been scrambling to re-grade over a dozen papers. It's like the little prick planned this whole thing on his night off…" He covered his mouth instantly at the insult, but Raven couldn't help and let a giggle bubble past her lips.
It was strangely cute hearing a TA get so flustered over saying a bad word, as if he'd done the unthinkable. She was, after all, a college student, and therefore, not much younger than him. "That's putting it mildly," she added with a genuine roll of her eyes.
Raven had a few colourful words she'd like to use herself when it came to describing Mr. Roy Harper in all his splendor.
Richard grinned, his tired eyes lighting up at her good humor. "Raven, right?" He asked suddenly in a tone that was far more relaxed, all the while, studying her face intently.
It should have been a crime to have eyes that pale a shade of blue, and he sure as hell shouldn't have let them drift towards the full, sensuous curve of her mouth the way that he did.
Raven grabbed at the hem of her tight, short denim skirt, feeling immediately self-conscious. "That's me," she replied after finding her voice. It sounded choked and gravelly, even to her ears.
Then again, how often was it that the cutest TA in a classroom of just over a hundred students could still recall her name, of all people?
Mr. Grayson brought the butt of his pen to his lips again, making it dance between his fingers as he leaned back in his chair and observed the somewhat shy and modest girl in his company.
"Yeah, I remember now. You're really smart," he blurted out. Raven's cheeks were aflame. "Whenever Professor Wayne picked on you in class, your answers would always resonate with me. I'd say you were his favourite, but he's a hard man to read so I doubt you'd believe me."
Cute, charming, and intelligent? It was practically a rigged game Mr. Grayson was playing.
How intimate was knee touching on a scale of not flirting to mega flirting, anyways?
Then, suddenly, he lurched forward in his chair, and began scribbling something down on the front of her paper like a mad man. "Yeah, you know what? I like you. Tell you what, I'll look over your paper from start to finish and mark it myself. And don't you worry; I'll make sure that my grade is your final grade, not that nitwit's," he reassured her confidently, looking up to grace her with yet another dazzling, dizzying smile.
The man could have stopped traffic with the glint from his perfectly straight, white teeth. "I'll even put it on top of the pile; total precedence over all the others. How's that sound?"
Add kind to that list of qualities she'd ticked off earlier.
"Th-thank you, sir! It's all I ask! I just want a fair grade, and I don't believe Mr. Harper even bothered to read my thesis!" Raven stammered, trying not to let her bitterness get the better of her in front of Mr. Grayson.
Richard's handsome smile persisted. "Absolutely! I'll have it ready for you by the next class," he promised.
Raven broke out into an excited grin, too elated to truly care about being embarrassed in front of TA tight ass (the rather affectionate code name many used to refer to Mr. Grayson, including his own colleagues at times).
By the time the next lecture occurred, Mr. Grayson had found a seated Raven before it had started, and slipped her paper back to her, face down on the desk. He gave her a wink and a matching smirk that had everyone else in the vicinity green with envy.
When Raven's heart slowed back into a normal rhythm, she managed to build the courage to glance at the new grade she was given, marked clearly by a contrasting blue pen to the other red ink.
The number was significantly higher.
Probably one of her highest in the class yet. Mr. Grayson had not only kept his promise, he'd clearly deemed her work worthy of a grade so seldom given to anyone in such a ruthless course.
There were also a scribble of notes in blue ink along the margins, and maybe even a small smiley face, and Raven couldn't wait to read them; butterflies already fluttering in her stomach.
In the background, Roy Harper chuckled at his friend, and shook his head, elbowing him lightly when he said, "You always were a sucker for the cute ones, huh, Dick?"
Richard Grayson brushed off what his friend was insinuating with a scoff and a roll of his eyes, but it did not go unnoted that he also didn't deny the accusation, either…
When no one else was looking, he spared a small smile at the back of Raven's head…
The last thing Raven wanted to do was be cornered by Garfield Logan in what appeared to be an interrogation.
The spry blonde youth effectively blocked her path in the hallway with his arm, and he leaned in with a mischievous glint in his jade green eyes. He was wearing a coy smile and seemed to have forgotten everything about personal space.
Raven leaned back, scowling up at him.
"Ever hear of a breath mint, Logan?" She mocked, scrunching up her nose in distaste.
Of course, his breath smelled fine. However, it was an efficient way to quickly make the highly self-conscious boy back off, if only by a little.
She saw his eyes widen in embarrassment, and he breathed against his palm to see if what she said were true.
Minty fresh, as usual.
He then fixed her with a glare and resumed his invasion of her own personal bubble, the tip of his nose a mere few inches from hers. "Nice try, but you're not getting out of this one, Rae. I know all about professor bubble butt, and I want details."
The normally reserved girl coloured significantly, her pale cheeks retaining a rosy tint instead. Her violet eyes, usually icy and cold, seemed to quiver and soften under his scrutiny.
"I-I have no idea what you're talking about," she stammered, trying to pass by him in a vain attempt. She fought the urge to correct him on Richard's actual job description on campus, knowing it would immediately give her away.
She finally managed to dip under his arm and escape, shuffling away quickly before her expression betrayed any more of her emotions.
"Nuh-uh. Kory told me you went on a date with the hottest TA on campus. You don't get to just walk away from that. As designated best friends, I think you owe both of us a heavily detailed explanation. Spill it, Rae," he persisted, following behind her hopelessly, much like a lost puppy hot on her heels.
She had to roll her eyes at that; Kory and Garfield were, for all intents and purposes, her best friends. They were the only folk she actively spent time with outside of campus, anyways. The few she could actually tolerate. "I have seven chapters worth of reading to catch up on, a ten-page essay due by the end of the week, and a midterm assignment I should probably start sooner than later. Can't this conversation wait?"
Raven continued to make her way to her dorm with Garfield trying to keep up with her urgent pace.
"Come on, Rae!" He whined, "Kory is meeting us at your door, and we're going to have a lengthy chat about your date with Mr. Grayson," Garfield informed her matter-of-factly. "Besides, I tell you guys all about my love life, it's only fair."
Raven had to smirk at that. "Trust me, Gar. No one wants to hear all about your exploits."
His jaw hung open in offense, and he briefly paused in his step, allowing Raven to gain a few footfalls ahead of him.
"Your words cut deep, Raven. They cut real deep," he lamented with a shake of his head, bringing his hands to his chest where his heart was.
Raven let out a heavy sigh when they finally reached the housing complex. "Fine. So I went on a date. Happy?"
Garfield resumed his pace. Kory was sitting on the doorsteps and, upon noticing the two of them, jumped up and waved excitedly.
When they reached her, Raven groaned and rubbed at her temples in annoyance, noting the taller girl's mischievous little smirk. "Please, please tell me the two of you are the only ones who know about…you know," Raven faltered, her eyes darting to the ground shyly as she tucked a strand of plum-purple hair behind her ear.
Kory combed her fingers through her luscious, bright red waves as she contemplated Raven's question carefully.
"Kory!" Raven cried out incredulously. All the colour from her face had drained and there was mild panic in her wide, violet eyes.
The flame haired girl giggled, the wind picking up and playing with the ends of her flowy pink skirt. "Don't freak out, Raven. I only told Gar, of course," she finally answered.
Raven frowned and Garfield watched the exchange with unbidden amusement. "Got to admit, she had you going there, Rae."
Ignoring them with an infuriated huff, the annoyed shorter female pushed past them towards the entrance, taking her keys out from her pocket and opening the front door.
"So, how did tall, dark, and handsome go about asking you out, anyways? I could use some tips." Garfield followed her inside, as did Kory.
"When one looks as Mr. Grayson does, there's probably not much skill required," Kory explained nonchalantly.
Raven removed her bag from her shoulder and placed it on the floor. "You know I'm not that shallow, right? There's way more to Richard than just his looks. He's…a gentleman," Raven defended, a light smile tugging at her lips as she reminisced about the previous evening.
Both Garfield and Kory had taken a seat on the couches in the living room of the small bungalow complex, and were listening eagerly. Gar had on a wide, cheeky grin, and he waggled his brows at Raven. "So, he's Richard now, huh?" He teased.
Once Raven had hung up her leather jacket, she turned to regard them both with an unamused look on her face. "Geez, you guys are really making this a bigger thing than it actually is. It was one date."
"But it went well, did it not?" Kory queried, her brows raised suggestively as she stared unblinkingly at the girl now standing in the centre of the room.
Raven fell into the big sofa across from them, the massive cushions nearly devouring her smaller frame. She sighed deeply, feeling a headache coming on.
"No, no!" Garfield exclaimed. "She has to start at the beginning, Kory. The very beginning. No spoilers!" He nudged the unsuspecting, pretty girl seated next to him with his elbow, and then gave Raven a nod that indicated she go on with her tale.
Raven quirked up an inquisitive brow, but quickly realized that there would be no escape from her friends' curiosity. "Uh, okay. Well, it kind of started after the whole paper debacle, with Mr. Harper and his unfair grading system…"
The end of class, and as per usual, Mr. Wayne had assigned the world to his students. It was common knowledge that he was the toughest professor who taught the course, and he often overloaded his pupils with many assignments, to help them fully understand and immerse them in the subject matter. True, the homework was often very tedious, but Mr. Wayne also had the highest passing rate because of it. Whoever took his class and did the homework was rewarded with easy exams and midterms. The questions rarely differed from those discussed in class.
Still, knowing the amount of work she had to complete by the end of the week remained daunting to Raven. She packed her books and pens away with a heavy heart. Yet another week she'd have to spend her time being a hermit.
"Ahem."
Someone very nearby cleared their throat, drawing her attention, and Raven's eyes worked from the ground up as she took in the intruder's presence.
She could see his shoes first; the same worn out, brown loafers she'd stared at previously whenever she had a hard time meeting his eyes after he'd caught her shamelessly ogling him.
That stupidly aristocratic face.
Raven looked up slowly, taking in his beige slacks and untucked, soft blue dress shirt first. Sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the first few buttons undone so that the white crew neck he wore could be seen underneath. A few wrinkles here and there in the dress shirt; either he'd worn it before or he'd simply not had the time to iron it from the dryer. His hair, a black so rich, was a dishevelled, handsome mess, and he ran a shaky hand through the fringe that fell into his eyes. Raven watched the silken, onyx strands swiftly move back into place, and she briefly pondered if it felt as soft as it looked.
He'd removed his black rimmed glasses, and they sat atop his head, while his sky-blue eyes, nearly matching the colour of his shirt, regarded her with mild apprehension.
Raven gulped.
Richard tucked his hands into his pockets, the dimples next to his mouth prominent even when he wasn't smiling.
"I, uh…I need to see you in my office after class. It's regarding your regraded paper," he told her rather bluntly, coughing to clear his throat before he spoke.
Raven ignored the lump in her throat.
"Yeah, sure. Of course. There isn't a…problem, is there?" She questioned, her heart hammering in her chest.
The paper.
She was nervous because of the paper.
Richard shook his head adamantly. "No, no! No problem. Just, uhm…a few things we need to go over."
She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that.
He forced a smile. "Nothing bad, I promise."
Raven slung the strap of her canvas bag over her shoulder, and shrugged. "Okay. I'll head up after I've dropped off some things at my locker."
He nodded curtly, but maintained his excited smile before walking away.
Something a lot like butterflies were making Raven feel anxious and nauseous at the same time. It wasn't fair, how he could be so unwittingly charming without even trying.
When she finally worked up the nerve to show up at the office, the door was left ajar, so she didn't have to knock like she had previously. He was, after all, expecting her.
"Raven! Please, come in. Have a seat," he urged once he'd spotted her lingering in the hallway, and sequentially pulled up the seat next to him.
His desktop this time was tidied, and there was a ceramic coffee mug sitting close by, filling the room with the delicious aroma of freshly pressed coffee beans and vanilla. Mr. Wayne had invested in an espresso machine for his colleagues, it seemed. An act of kindness perhaps no one would have expected of the surly man.
Raven dropped her bag onto the floor next to the chair and sat down, feeling awkward and unsure.
"You said we had to discuss my paper, sir?" She examined the stack of neatly piled papers on the forefront of his desk.
"Dick; you can call me Dick," he corrected her, gazing at her with glassy eyes and a dazzling smile.
Raven clutched at her knees and willed herself to stare anywhere but at his face, afraid he'd catch the imminent blush that was making her head feel like she'd stuffed it into an oven.
Dick cleared his throat when the silence became choking. "I, uhm, I was just wanting to see if you read over my comments and, er, approved of the grade I gave you."
Raven nodded, grateful for the change of topic. "Yes, I did. Thank you. Mr. Harper wasn't upset with you, was he?"
She was genuinely concerned that the ginger had lashed out against someone as kind and compassionate as Richard Grayson, and the possibility made her livid.
Richard threw his head back and laughed; a wonderful, intoxicating sound that reverberated from his throat. "Hah! He can try to retaliate, but he won't get very far. Mr. Wayne has his favourites, and I can assure you, Roy is not one of them."
Raven failed to see the humor as Richard did, but she was content with knowing that he was at least safe from any malicious backfire for standing up for her.
"If he gives you a hard time again or anything, you let me know. Anything at all, my door is always open," he told her earnestly.
She couldn't understand it; why did he care so much?
"Uhm, thank you. I'll keep it in mind, si-…Dick."
For some reason, Raven's reaction to being around an attractive individual was usually to flee and never look back. Especially when they were as kind as Mr. Grayson. She was starting to feel uncomfortably warm in the cramped office, and wanted nothing more than to run out the door and away from him.
"Great! That's…that's great. I'm glad we talked," he added awkwardly, trying to fill the strained tension developing between them with useless words. Richard rapped his knuckles against the wood of his desk nervously.
For a man as popular as he was handsome, Raven couldn't help but find him adorably awkward whenever he was around her.
She pulled her chair back, standing, and gearing up to leave. "I guess I'll see you next class." She avoided his eyes.
He then stood up suddenly, too. Richard didn't seem to know what to do with his hands, and he fidgeted on the spot, rocking on the balls of his feet. He then fixed his reading glasses over the bridge of his nose in what must have been an anxious tick, having forgotten them on during their conversation.
"Next class, yeah…," he breathed softly, somewhat defeated and his eyes scanning her in a manner that made Raven blush from her toes up.
She kept her head down and made to scurry out of the room once she had grabbed her bag. Just as she reached the threshold, he called after her; "Or…maybe I could see you at the carnival coming to town on the weekend? I-if you wanted to, I mean…"
Raven fought the urge to pinch herself, because surely, there was no way in seven hells that Richard Grayson had just asked her out in real life.
When she didn't answer, and only remained rooted to the spot, her body stuck in a rigid posture, Richard felt the need to add, "Sorry, I shouldn't have…that's inappropriate, way inappropriate. I only meant that, I was going to go and, if you were going to go, I would see you there. I didn't mean to make it sound-…"
"Yeah." Raven cut him off abruptly, miraculously finding her voice again. "I'd…like that. Seeing you there, of course," she quickly amended.
There was a stupid smile forming on her face and she couldn't fight it off, no matter how silly she knew she looked.
"Really? You want to go out- I mean, go to the carnival?" Richard asked, somewhat stunned by her response.
Raven didn't turn around; she kept her back to him when she nodded once. "I'll be there around seven thirty. Right by the entrance, probably. In case you wanted to know."
Richard grinned, enjoying the way they were tiptoeing around their true intentions so brazenly.
"Seven thirty it is."
Raven had assumed that he would stand her up.
All guys who looked like Richard Grayson were the type to stand her up.
That was why, when one of the hands of her wristwatch indicated a minute past seven thirty, Raven was immediately plagued with doubt.
Stupid.
How could she have been so stupid?
He was her TA. It was technically taboo to date a TA. If the school discovered it, she could get into loads of hot water, and a student such as herself, who heavily relied on bursaries and grants, couldn't afford anything to compromise that.
Two minutes passed.
Raven was growing anxious. She was tapping her foot nervously, and glancing overtop the crowd of heads in front of her in a desperate attempt to spot him.
Any sign of him. But with the sea of people crowding around the park entrance, it was near impossible to find anything that would set Richard apart from the throng.
Had she been played?
Was she foolish in assuming his intentions with her?
Negative thoughts swirled in her head, and she debated leaving and giving up, choking back her pride and hurt ego. She hated carnivals anyways. They were full of screaming kids and annoying couples and stunk of corndogs and body odour.
"Fancy that; aren't you in my English class?"
Just like that, Raven's heart felt like it had been jump started. She immediately recognized the voice, along with the cheeky tone of the male speaking to her.
Dick Grayson stood before her, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, and smiling his usual bemused smile, not a care in the world.
Of course; running a few minutes behind had probably meant nothing to him, despite the torture it had put Raven through. It annoyed her, seeing him so calm and complacent in his more casual attire. It annoyed her to think that she'd completely overreacted.
"You…you came," she said, her voice betraying her emotions.
His smile faltered slightly. "Of course. I said I would. Did you think I was going to bail and not tell you?"
Raven shook her head in her own defense. Like hell she'd let him on to her insecurities. "I guess I just didn't believe a guy like you liked carnivals."
He quirked up an eyebrow. "Me? I love them. The cheesy music, the colourful lights, the boring rides. Not to mention, cotton candy. Do you like cotton candy, Raven?" His smile was back in full gear, dimples, and all.
Not really…
That was what she ought to have told him, anyways. It was sticky and messy and, besides that, Raven wasn't overly fond of anything super sugary. However, she wasn't going to tell him that. Not when he looked like a kid at his first amusement park; the way the pink and yellow lights danced off his striking eyes was mesmerizing to watch.
Instead, she adjusted the thin strap of her purse over her shoulder, and forced a smile, fully prepared to lie through her teeth. "I could go for a bite."
He grinned, and Raven had to fight the impulse to grab hold of his arm when they started walking. A temptation she'd thought she'd never truly know.
The date itself went smooth as smooth could be. In fact, it went better than just smooth, and Raven genuinely enjoyed herself for the first time in a long time.
Richard bought the tickets, adamantly refusing to allow her to pay, and then also purchased the wad of cotton candy that they both proceeded to share. He laughed when a wisp of it clung to her cheek and, in what felt like a heated moment, used his thumb to wipe it away. She had stared up at him, feeling dizzy and light headed, like she was caught in the web of an intricate spell.
He then brought his thumb to his lips and licked the sugary substance off, his eyes never leaving hers. "Mmmm, good stuff," he crooned, his voice gruff and laced with hidden intentions.
Oxygen.
Humans needed oxygen to breathe, and if she had passed out then, she'd only have served to embarrass herself further.
So, Raven breathed.
The remainder of the evening was littered with moments much like that one. Each time, there was just as much electricity, and sexual tension, as the last.
When it came to playing the games, there was a point where Richard had taken the liberty of showing her how to throw more efficiently after she'd groaned in frustration at her lack of skills, having missed the targets quite a few times. It had humiliated her to note the amusement in his eyes as he'd watched her struggle, as did the crowd around them, and when he'd noticed her heavy scowl and slight rage, Richard finally motioned to help her out. Begrudgingly, she had eventually accepted.
He had stepped behind her and helped teach her the proper stance to throw the ball and knock down the tin cans before her. His warm hand had coyly slipped around her waist, holding her snugly against him, and his mouth had hovered close by her ear as he helped guide her hand with his own. The thick scent of his spiced cologne combined with the heat from his breath left her tingling, and she had to supress a shudder.
By the time she'd thrown the ball, he'd helped her knock all the remaining standing cans down in one fell swoop. Raven was certain that she'd done nothing to help achieve that, having been far too distracted by the feel of him so near to her, and his warm hands all over. Thankfully, if he had noticed, he'd remained mum on the subject, and gave her most of the credit.
After that came the rides.
The Ferris Wheel was a given, and together, they'd admired the city night view from the top while making small talk. He told her about his family, and how he'd met Mr. Wayne. In turn, she told him about her estranged father and the struggle her mother endured to ensure that her daughter would have a good education and a bright future. The adoration and respect in his expression while she told her story allowed Raven to feel more at ease; it was rare when others didn't judge her for her poorer upbringing.
On the carousel, they'd opted for the empty two-seat cushion, and he'd draped his arm over her shoulder in a bold move, while Raven found her hand cautiously resting on his knee. Neither made a fuss; the interaction felt like a natural development the more time they spent with one another.
After a while, Raven ignored the looks others were giving them, as well as all the jealous stares. Richard was proving that he was there with her, and only her. His focus remained that way for the duration of the night.
By the end, they were walking hand in hand around the fair grounds, their fingers tangled with one another, and Raven gradually loosened up around him.
It was so easy to let her guard down with Richard. It was so easy for her to just be herself. Normally, on dates, she often felt like she had to maintain an act. As if there were parts to be played, and she was the ever-talented actress.
With Richard, it was different.
They'd both stayed until the place was gearing to close down, not wanting the date to come to an end, and having thoroughly enjoyed one another's company.
After going on all the rides and playing all the games, they settled for just perusing through the park and talking, slowly growing more intimate in their subtler touches. Every now and again, Richard would gently place his hand on the small of her back, and Raven eventually grew bold enough to take his arm and nestle into him when the autumn wind would pick up.
As the park finally closed its gates, Dick had offered Raven a ride back to campus, and, despite her usual reservations, she'd agreed immediately. Throughout the whole peaceably silent ride there, he had tenderly brushed his fingers along the outside of her thigh in a sign of affection. Her cheeks warmed, and she had to look out the window so he wouldn't see the stupid smile forming on her face.
Raven's head was abuzz, as if she were intoxicated by the dream-like feelings he imbued in her.
"I had a good time," she confessed, tucking her hair behind her ear self-consciously as they pulled up to the housing complex.
Richard watched her from his side of the car, very much admiring her in the moonlight that filtered through the windows. "I did, too. It was nice…running into you," he teased, a devilish smirk playing on his rugged features. There was a hint of a five o'clock shadow on his jaw now, and Raven couldn't help but wonder what the dark stubble felt like against her cheeks. Against her lips.
Raven giggled; a sound so sweet after such a long absence. "Yeah, we should run into one another more often…"
That earned her another charismatic Grayson smile.
"Hmm, I think I'd like that. So, want to run in to one another next weekend, too? Say, around the same time, and maybe at a fine Italian restaurant instead?" His eyes lit up, although they never left her face.
"Make it Indian and we'll talk," Raven jested, earning her a chuckle from the man beside her. "I prefer vegetarian cuisine, if you don't mind."
Richard nodded in agreement. "Not a problem. I like Indian, too."
A tense moment passed between them, filled with unspoken desires and bubbling emotion. Raven wondered how long she ought to linger before it was obvious that he wouldn't be kissing her. Was there some kind of unspoken rule? Perhaps Kory would know.
Part of her wanted to stay; she was practically aching for it. There was no reason they shouldn't have kissed. At least, she had presumed that Dick was enjoying her company as much as she had his. Had she been too pretentious? Was she analyzing things a little too much?
The date had gone beyond swell, and a kiss seemed imminent, if not entirely necessary.
Richard ran his hands up and down his thighs, clearly not knowing what to do with them as tension continued to rise. She heard him take in a deep breath through his nose.
"Well, I guess this is good night. Sleep well, Raven. I'll see you in class…," he said, although his voice sounded somehow uncertain.
To say that Raven was utterly devastated would have been a vast understatement.
It was like her heart had become a solid rock and had sunk down into the pits of her stomach.
Her hands became tight fists in her lap, and she tried to collect herself before her rampant emotions consumed her.
Not wanting to look at him for fear of falling apart, she opened the car door while keeping her head hung low, and said rather curtly, "Yeah, good night."
Then, without bothering to wait for his reaction, she bolted towards her apartment complex, slamming his car door behind her.
Annoyed and angry with herself, Raven fumbled with her house keys, wanting to get inside as quickly as possible. She mumbled a string of unladylike curses under her breath, growing more frustrated with every passing second.
She knew she was overreacting, but she couldn't help the manifestation of her insecurities. She couldn't help but feel somewhat like a fool.
"Raven! Wait!"
At some point, Richard had gotten out of his car and chased after her. Raven was left staggered, turning around to curiously watch him approaching her, forgetting all about the ring of keys she held in her hand.
He stood in front of her, wearing an expression she had a hard time reading.
Regret? Longing? In the dark, it was difficult to be certain.
Either way, she hadn't seen it coming when he'd cupped her face and crushed his lips to hers in a slow but starved embrace, like he was savouring the taste of her beneath him, committing it to memory.
Her eyes had widened, her mouth unsuspectingly compliant beneath his own, but Raven fell into his touch almost like it was second nature.
The kiss lasted forever, and yet, felt far too short. Raven's hands had come up to his broad shoulders, to wrap around his neck. Richard's hands were on her waist, and he pulled her in closer, leaving no distance between them. He felt even better than she ever could have dreamed.
By the time they had to part for air, they rested their foreheads against one another, the tips of their noses touching, and grinned like fools.
Raven's heart was still racing, the exhilaration of their first kiss leaving her breathless.
The moment cooled, but they were content to just breathing one another in, silent, not caring for anything else around them.
"You're a good kisser," he whispered, his voice low and husky, like velvet moving across her skin.
"Thanks, you're not too shabby yourself. But, I think you could use some practice," Raven teased, unable to coax away the giddiness she felt while held in his strong arms.
Richard chuckled. "That so? Well then, would you like to be my teacher?"
Raven shrugged, pretending she had to give it some thought. "I can spare a few pointers here and there, I think."
All too eager, he kissed her again, smiling beneath her lips…
A/N: Thanks for reading! Feedback, as per usual, is appreciated.