It's almost dawn by the time the team comes home from our most recent mission. I hate chases. If you commit a crime, have the backbone to stand your ground and fight. If you run, we'll just find you anyway, and we will be extra ornery because we didn't get to pummel you after you wake us up at 3 in the morning.

Not that I was asleep when the alert went off earlier tonight.

I glance over at Beast Boy, who was up with me. He tries to stifle a yawn as Robin starts debriefing us. I should probably pay attention.

"Man, can we do this after we all get some shut-eye?" Cyborg interrupts with a yawn of his own.

"Fine," Robin consents, "But 10 a.m. practice is still on."

The rest of us mutually groan, but we accept our fate, and we each start to part for our bedrooms, hoping to catch what little sleep we can.

Except for me and Beast Boy.

He stands rooted to his spot until everyone leaves. Then he looks to me.

"So…" I say, lifting myself onto the kitchen island behind me, "We didn't die."

He smirks and moves towards me, but I notice I slight limp in his right leg.

"Injured?" I ask him once he reaches me.

"Nah," He shakes his head as he places his hands on either side of me. He smells like smoke, "I just banged my ankle on something while Cy and I cleaned up after the arsonists."

"You should let me heal it." I say, but all he does is lean closer until our noses touch. His fingers reach out and stroke my wrist.

He ignores what I say about his ankle, "So, what are the rules?"

"Rules?"

"Rules, boundaries, no-no squares; whatever is gonna keep me from being thrown out of a window." He grins at me, "I'm okay with going slow; I just need to know how slow."

I think of how slow this encounter can go. I slip my hands across his shoulders and let them dip into his hair. I press against him, his breath hitches. I can go slow, so slow that it's painful to wait, until every tiny touch is like fire.

But even I'm too impatient for that.

"I'll let know if you cross a line."

I kiss him and he responds in turn. The kiss is harsh and desperate, and I like it that way. It helps me actually believe he wants me too. I bite his bottom lip and he practically pulls me off the counter to get me closer to him. My legs wrap around his midsection.

I tug on his hair, and he actually growls low in his throat. I tug harder; another growl. I should not find that sexy, but I do. How easy would it be to get back into bed with him right now? He playfully bites my tongue. It would be so easy.

"I do not mean to interrupt my friends, but are you aware of where the extra mustard is?"

I don't think Kid Flash could have moved faster than we did. In a second we separate and I jump off the counter. I feel hot all over. How did we not hear Starfire come back in here?

"Um…" Beast Boy points towards a cabinet near the fridge as an answer.

Starfire smiles and floats over to the cabinet and finds what she's looking for. Giggling, she fills a glass with mustard and puts what remains in the fridge. I don't think Beast Boy and I are capable of language at the moment.

"Thank you, you may resume your coupling now." Starfire grins and begins to sip on her mustard as she floats towards her room.

"We're screwed." Beast Boy says beside me.

"Royally." I agree.

Starfire is great at the avoidance game. She's a lot better than I gave her credit for. I try to talk to her about the incident this morning before training, but she brushed me off with the excuse of taking care of Silkie. I try again to talk to her after training, but she flies away before I get the chance.

I sigh and glance over at Beast Boy from across the training field. He offers me a useless shrug of his shoulders. Figures I'd be left to talk to Starfire. Stupid boys.

I decide to go and meditate. Starfire obviously isn't spreading the news and I've already tried twice to talk to her. There's not that many people left to tell. Robin's the only one who doesn't know yet. I cringe at the thought of him knowing. I need to go meditate.

Beast Boy passes me on our walk back into the tower; he touches my shoulder before he walks on without me.

An hour into my meditation, there's a knock on my door. I consider the idea of getting a 'Raven's meditating, go away' sign for my door when l I hear Star's voice.

"Raven? May we speak?"

I quirk my eyebrow, I wonder what she wants to talk about, especially since she couldn't bother to give me the time of day earlier. I unfurl from my lotus position and open the door anyway.

"Come in."

She steps through, and closes the door after herself.

"What's up?" I ask.

"Beast Boy has spoken to me, and I wish to apologize. I did not realize that you're coupling together was meant to be a secret. I have known for quite some time that you two have become bedroom companions. I do live just down the hall from you, as you know."

I know I'm blushing, "You knew?"

Starfire nods enthusiastically, "I have known since before the unfortunate day that little girl passed, but since you two have never made mention of it to me, I did not wish to make you feel as if I were doing the snooping. I am sorry I was very forward last night. I did not mean to upset you."

Starfire reaches out and grabs my hands, and looks at me expectantly, "We are well?"

"We're well." I tell her, but my cheeks still burn, "Were we really that loud?"

She giggles, "Oh, no! You two were not any louder than any other couple in coitus. I simply have better hearing than most humans."

"Oh, so long as we're not louder than anyone else." I pull my hands away from hers, "Would you mind, not telling Robin about…Beast Boy and I? We're still…"

"Doing the 'going slow', Beast Boy has told me as much." She nods again, smiling "I promise that I shall keep your secret."

I thank her, but before she has the chance to leave, I have to ask. "What else has Beast Boy told you?"

I'm not sure how, but her smile widens. "Are we to do the girl-talk about Beast Boy?"

She's willing to keep whatever she knows a secret from Robin, I appreciate that enough to relinquish some of my time to 'do the girl-talk', besides maybe I can glean some intel on what else Beast Boy decided to share with our teammate.

"Sure."

Starfire giggles and plops herself upon my bed. I chuckle at her eagerness, and move to join her.

I find Beast Boy later, playing video games in his room.

"Not playing with Cyborg?" I say from his doorway.

He turns and grins at me with a shrug, "Says he's got too much work to do on the T-Car after last night, says he misses you though. Apparently you're awesome around the garage."

I'm slightly pleased by the fact Cyborg likes my company so much, but I doubt I was awesome. "Well you know, just get a girlfriend and I can just go back to sulking in the garage with him."

I move past the door and sit next to him on the floor. It's not as dirty as usual. At least there's no underwear on the floor, just some old pizza boxes and comic books.

"You sulked over me? Rae, I'm touched." He puts his hand to his chest and pretends to swoon.

"You like kissing me more than you ever liked sleeping with Shannon." I pretend to bat my eyelashes at him, "I'm touched."

He sits back up and glares at me, "Starefire told you that?"

"She told me a lot of things." I smirk, "One of the few privileges of girl-talk."

He groans and falls back onto the floor, "So she told you everything I told her?"

I lay down next to him, "Including the part where you talked to her about last night."

I kiss him on the cheek. He smiles at me and places his hand on mine.

"So, we're still not dead. In case you haven't noticed."

I roll my eyes at him, but I let him kiss me, he's earned it. He's slow, and deliberate, and presses against me gently. It's very different from last night, but I like it. I like it a lot.