Crappy title, I know. Sorry.
A Raven/Starfire oneshot. If you are really against the pairing, you could, I suppose, imagine it as friendship, but I don't see why you'd want to.
Disclaimer: Um ... I own nothing recognizable?
Raven was deeply immersed within her book, levitating off the floor in her signature cross-legged position, an old thick tomb in her grasp as she lost herself in the words, unaware of the world around her, of the room beyond the story of the book. She was perfectly content to remain in such a state for hours at a time, and would often lose track of time during the exercise, sometimes not coming out of her room for days; when something like that happened, only one person was able to draw her back out, back to the real world.
She was nearing the end of the book now, a couple of chapters left before she would be forced to be in reality for a short amount of time until she could find another book, and Raven lingered on each page to stall the inevitable, but before she could finish she was rudely brought back to the current time and place. She landed with a muffled thump on the covers of her bed, frowning at the door in irritation as she slammed the book closed and flicked her hand, her magic snapping open the door to reveal a startled looking Starfire, dressed in her sleep-wear, on the other side.
"Oh, Raven! I did not mean to disturb you," she said, sounding sheepish.
Instantly Raven felt bad, but she pushed it down. "It's fine, Starfire," she assured, slipping her book onto the nightstand beside her. "Is there something I can help you with?" she asked curiously, as Starfire rarely came to her room without invitation and never this late, unless she wanted to bring her out for a few hours.
The girl at the door suddenly looked nervous, pushing her hair away from her face and keeping her eyes trained firmly on the floor, even as Raven saw the blush in her face. "Beast Boy and Cyborg decided to play the hide-and-go-seek in my room, and I do not wish to sleep in there in case of any surprises," Starfire admitted. "So I was wondering if perhaps I could ...," she trailed off. "Perhaps I should go ask Robin -"
"No!" Raven said quickly, shuffling aside on the bed. "I mean," she added slower and calmer, "you can stay here tonight. If you want." She honestly couldn't understand why she suddenly felt as nervous as her friend looked.
Starfire, however, burst into a smile and immediately stepped inside, the door automatically sliding shut beside her. "Oh, yes please, Raven, that would be most enjoyable," she enthused. Before Raven could offer to sleep on a chair or the floor or something, Starfire flew to the bed and crawled over the covers, snuggling in very close besides Raven and curling up to her.
Taken by surprise, Raven could only sit stiffly as Starfire made herself comfortable next to her, even going so far as to so tentatively rest their shoulders together. Raven shivered at the unexpected contact, and Starfire paused, a flicker of uncertainty quickly hidden in her face. "Is this … okay, Raven?" she asked quietly, unsure of herself.
"… Yes," she responded once she was able to find her voice. "Um, sure. Make yourself comfortable."
Apparently that was all the assurance Starfire needed, as she immediately drooped her head to use Raven's shoulder as a pillow, wriggling into a better position as Raven remained still next to her. She must have been very tired, because Raven instantly felt her relax as she heard her breathing even out, and she knew Star was asleep. Raven kept sitting awkwardly in place for a moment, tense and uncomfortable, before she slowly relaxed, taking a risk and snaking an arm around Starfire's waist, pulling her even closer, and when the redhead didn't seem to mind Raven sunk lower into the pillows, so her and Star's heads were cushioned against each other. Feeling oddly cozy in the position, she briefly smiled, eyes flickering closed as she was suddenly overcome by an unexpected wave of exhaustion.
As she fell into the waves of sleep, Raven vaguely noticed the fact that Starfire had, in her sleep, linked their hands together. She couldn't quite make herself too bothered by it.
I've been wanting to do a oneshot like this for ages, but I only got around to it now, so, yeah. I love this pairing, so there might be more ... Maybe they'll be longer. Eventually I'm sure there'll be no way for them to be mistaken for friendship like this one.
Reviews are greatly appreciated!