Chapter 1
Sunlight streamed through the windows in the living room. It was a down-day for the Teen Titans and most of them were taking full advantage of it, Beast Boy was hanging upside down watching the latest martial arts movie with his eyes glazed over, Raven was sitting on the sofa reading one of her many books, Starfire was busy making a peanut butter and custard sandwich and Cyborg was tinkering in the corner with his latest exploration in technology.
"Yo Robin." Cyborg called enthusiastically, waving the fellow Titan who had only just come out of his room over to where he was working.
"What's up?" Robin said, walking briskly over to Cyborg's workstation.
"Well, I thought you'd be interested in this latest trap I've been developing." Cyborg grinned, gesturing towards a metal square roughly the size of a laptop. "If someone steps on it, it expands and traps them in an indestructible case of metal that's slightly smaller than an elevator." Cyborg tapped it cheerfully, "It can only be deactivated from the outside and is resistant to any chemicals, including Xenothium."
Robin nodded approvingly, "So he wouldn't be able to teleport outside of it?" He asked grimly, his mouth set in the same expression he always wore when discussing Red-X.
"Not unless he's developed superpowers in the last month or so." Cyborg replied.
"Good." Robin smiled slightly, "I'm gonna go back to my room and see if I can…"
"Find out anything new." Cyborg interrupted with an exasperated smile, "Yeah, I know."
Robin ran his fingers across the trap distractedly, "We need to find him and put a stop to him."
Cyborg looked over Robin appraisingly and put a hand on his shoulder, "Just be careful 'kay." He said gently, "This can't turn into another Slade."
Robin shrugged out of Cyborg's hand. "I know." He said shortly, before exiting the room, leaving Cyborg with a worried look on his face.
Robin stalked into his room, glaring at the hundreds of newspaper cuttings that lined his walls. There was everything from reports on Red-X's stolen jewellery, to speculations on his identity, to the teenage magazine cut-out of the list of the top ten sexiest villains. Robin noted with some distaste that Red-X came first, I mean you can't even see his face, he thought, he could be seventy for all those stupid teenage girls knew.
Robin sighed, if he was quite honest with himself, he didn't know what to do anymore. He knew everything was going well in his life, he was a more than competent hero, he had friends and he had challenges. His life was complete. Except… he couldn't help but feel that it wasn't. He couldn't help but feel that there was a hole within him, it sounded like a cliché, but it was true. Something was missing.
Robin flung himself on his bed trying to make himself relax. He started to clench and unclench his separate muscles in turn. After a few minutes he just sighed and gave up, sleep wasn't going to come tonight. He sat up and crossed his legs, contemplating what he could do. He could either go into the living room where there would no doubt be some kind of video game war where he could go and lose himself in cheap animation and thin plotlines. Alternatively he could run what little he knew about Red-X through the Justice League database. Again.
Thinking that neither of these options would do much to improve his current mental state Robin chose to go out to patrol the city. He decided that he would go alone as the others would just complain about losing another night's sleep. Robin grabbed his Bo staff and his belt before heading down to the garage for his motorbike.
"Havin' fun birdie?" Billy Numerous taunted as his clones encircled Robin.
"Oh I'm having a ball." Robin snarled as he delivered a roundhouse kick, sending one clone crashing into one of the many cast iron crates that filled the warehouse in which they were fighting.
Robin had seen Billy Numerous robbing one of Jump's most prominent banks and had chased him into this abandoned building. They had only been fighting for a few minutes but Robin was already beginning to regret taking on Billy by himself, there were just too many of him to fight at once.
Robin gave a cry as a Billy swung a spare piece of iron against his stomach, making him fly backwards into a crate. He tried to scramble up but after when another Billy grasped his head and knocked it viciously against the ground he fell down again. He lay there groaning, his head spinning. The nearly unconscious hero only vaguely feeling many pairs of hands lift him up and throw him into one of the metal crates. Robin only realised where he was after the door had been shut and he was locked inside.
Red X watched Billy Numerous exit the warehouse happily and rolled his eyes, that guy was a disgrace to thieves everywhere. Red X had seen Robin's fight from it's doomed beginning; he wasn't sure what was going on in Robin's head when he'd decided to take on Billy Numerous by himself. Red X snorted, maybe the 'boy wonder' had developed even more of a hero complex than before.
Red X was just about to turn to leave when he heard Robin's voice come from the metal container, "Can someone please let me out." Red X's brow furrowed in confusion, Robin's voice was timid and strangled, like he was barely containing horror. It was like someone had taken all of the bravado and confidence and replaced it with a scared little boy. "Please, anyone, I just need to get out." Robin's voice sounded again, the terror was obviously creeping up on him and trying desperately to escape the pride that stopped it from expressing itself.
Red-X was frozen, he didn't know what to do, help the unfortunate hero and doubtlessly get into yet another verbal spar, or just leave and avoid any trouble.
"Please!" Robin screamed, making Red-X jump. "Anyone out there, I'm begging you, get me out! Get me out! Get me out!" Robin shouted, his fists banging the sides of the container, "I can't breathe!"
Red-X jumped down from his hiding place, since when had he ever avoided trouble anyway, he mused. But to tell the truth, Red-X was unnerved by the sheer panic in the normally collected Robin. He knew what was wrong with the hero and he wouldn't be a human being if he just walked away. He broke the lock on the outside of the door and swung it open quickly.
Robin burst out and stumbled onto the floor, he kneeled there, his forehead on the floor, breathing heavily, with sweat and tears pouring down his cheeks.
"You okay Kid?" Red-X asked, he was hovering between the container and Robin, like he wanted to help but he also didn't want to find his wrists in handcuffs.
Robin scrambled to his feet quickly, ignoring the faint head rush he felt. "What are you doing here Red-X?" He shouted.
"Thanks for saving me Red-X." The thief said with an annoyed tone, "That's no problem Robin, any time."
"Shut up!" Robin growled, trying to steady his legs. "Why did you save me?"
"Can't you just accept that I had the urge to do something nice?" Red-X sighed, but swiftly leapt out of the way when Robin tried to strike him with his Bo staff. "Hey Kid, I don't think you should be fighting after having a panic attack."
"What would you know." Robin spat, realising that he still had tears on his face and furiously wiping them away.
"Well, for one thing, I'm claustrophobic as well." Red-X said matter-of-factly, "I wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone." There was a moment of silence between them until Red-X snickered, "Even you Birdie." Robin growled in response.
"Just shut up Red-X," Robin muttered, leaning against his Bo staff. "I don't know what your intention is, but will you please just leave before I have to make you."
Red-X rolled his eyes, before realising that Robin couldn't see them behind his mask. It was obvious to both of them that Robin could hardly stand, let alone fight, but Red-X decided to be kind and not mention that fact. "Typical superhero, I willingly show you a flaw that could be exploited and yet you still don't trust me." Before Robin could reply Red-X had already teleported, leaving the hero alone so he could sink to his knees in peace.
By the time Robin had managed to drag himself home nearly all of the Titans were in bed, only Raven was there to witness him stagger through the door and collapse on the sofa.
"Robin, what's wrong?" Raven said with concern as she floated quickly over to see if he needed any healing.
"Nothing," Robin tried to assure her, "I just got in a fight with Billy Numerous and, well, lost." He finished bitterly.
"Well that was stupid." Raven chastised him as she ran her healing energies over his head and his stomach, trying to ease the bruising that she could sense there. "It's hard enough to beat him as a group, let alone by yourself."
"I know…" Robin said as he stared at the ceiling.
Raven watched him for a moment, she knew there was something else wrong, it was written all over his face, "What happened Robin?" She asked.
"He…" Robin's face twisted with the unpleasant memory, "He locked me in a metal crate."
Raven felt a surge of sympathy for Robin, she was the only one in the group to know about Robin's claustrophobia, and he intended to keep it that way. He hated for anyone to know any of his weaknesses. He hated to have weaknesses in the first place.
"Will you be alright?" Raven asked quietly.
Robin nodded, 'Yeah, I'll be fine, it just takes a while to recover from it." He tried to sound cheerful, but his voice just sounded flat. "You go to bed Raven," Robin said, giving her a forced smile.
"Ok then." Raven said with uncertainty, "If you're sure you're alright."
"It's ok, my head and stomach feel a lot better now." Robin said.
"I meant up here Robin." Raven said, tapping her forehead.
"Oh," Robin looked away, "Well I'm fine there too, just go to bed Raven."
Raven gave a disapproving sigh before walking off, she knew better than to coddle Robin, he took care of himself whenever possible and hated receiving help, even if it was needed.
Robin listened to Raven's footsteps echoing away and let out a pain-filled moan. She had only taken away the superficial pain; there was still a lot of bruising around his stomach. Robin guessed he wouldn't be able to fight properly for a couple of days. He frowned; it had been so unlike him to just run after the bad guy without any back up. Robin snickered at himself, actually it was exactly like him and he knew it. Robin sobered, everyone knew it. He couldn't count the times when he'd got himself into a bad situation because he refused to rely on someone else. You'd think I'd learn, Robin mused to himself.
Over the next few days the Teen Titans were called out twice and both times they had to handcuff Robin to the couch so he wouldn't come with them.
"It's for your own good dude," Cyborg had said cheerfully, before taking a photo for what Robin could only presume were blackmail purposes.
But when Raven finally deemed him able to fight again without doing any further damage the first thing Robin did was go on patrol with Starfire.
"Are you quite sure you are well enough for this friend Robin?" Starfire said in her trademark broken English.
"I'm fine Starfire," Robin said cheerfully, enjoying his journey across the rooftops while Starfire flew beside him, "I've missed doing this."
"You talk as if you were incapacitated for weeks, it was only a few days." Starfire smiled.
"Well it felt like weeks," Robin said darkly, "especially when you're handcuffed to the couch and can't reach the remote to turn it off a documentary about giraffes."
"But Robin, it promised to be educational and you love television programmes that enhance your knowledge." Starfire said in a shocked tone, "did you not enjoy it?"
"Uh, well I suppose it wasn't that bad…" Robin said reluctantly, guilt-tripped by Starfire's upset expression. He was saved from any further questions when he spotted Red-X coming out of a jewellery store, "Starfire, lets go!" he shouted and leapt off the roof and slid down the drain pipe with practised ease.
When Red-X heard Robin's voice he looked up and immediately sprang into action. He started running away quickly, before using a pellet from his belt to create a cloud of heavy smoke. By the time Robin and Starfire had got there the smoke had cleared and there were two Red-X's looking at them. Robin just knew that there was a smirk under each mask.
"I suppose the question is, which one…" One Red-X started.
"Is the real one?" The other one finished.
At that moment the two Red-X's went in two different directions; one down a small alley and the other down the main street.
"You go after the other one!" Robin shouted as he started to run after the one down the alley. He knew that Starfire would do better with a wide street to fly down, whereas he would find it easier not to have to avoid the people that were milling around on the busy main street.
He ran swiftly down the alley after the Red-X and he began to grow suspicious when the surroundings were becoming more familiar. He knew that this one was the real Red-X when he was led into the same warehouse they had been in before.
Red-X slowed down to a walk and turned around with a cocky laugh, "I do love boys chasing after me."
"Why did you bring me back here?" Robin demanded.
Red-X rolled his eyes, "You know what's wrong with you birdie?" When Robin gave no answer he continued, "You take life too seriously," when Robin gave him a look of annoyance he laughed.
"Well if people like you weren't trying to steal something every time someone's back is turned then I wouldn't have to." Robin growled.
"Ouch." Red-X chuckled, "you wound me deeply."
"Oh I'm sure." Robin said.
There was a moment of silence when hero and villain looked at each other. "Can't you just give up?" Robin asked.
"Can't you?" Red-X said as he tilted his head to the side.
"To tell you the truth, I feel like I should," Robin sighed, sitting down on a nearby wooden crate, "you saved me and I wouldn't feel right capturing you after that."
"You say that as if you could catch me." Red-X said humorously.
Robin glared at him, "I'm trying to say thank you here."
Red-X sauntered towards him, feeling a small flicker of annoyance when Robin tensed slightly, "well, thank you for saying thank you." He rested a hand on Robin's shoulder hesitantly.
Robin looked up at Red-X, "what are you doing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the hand on his shoulder.
"Living." Came the simple answer, "I suggest you do the same." Red-X's hand travelled from Robin's shoulder down to his chest and settled over his heart. With his other hand he traced a finger over Robin's jaw and onto his lips.
"Wait," Robin said, feeling a rush of panic.
"Hush birdie," Red-X chuckled as he traced Robin's upper lip from the left to the right and then back again on the bottom lip, "don't worry, I'm very… experienced."
"I'm not gay," Robin said distractedly, his entire being focused on the feel of the leather moving slowly over his lips.
"Yeah, it sure doesn't look that way does it kid?" Red-X laughed as he leant closer towards Robin, who was looking up at him in half fear, half desire.
Just then a beep came from Robin's belt and he reached down to pick up the transmitter with a strange unpalatable mix of relief and reluctance.
"Hello Starfire," he said, flipping open the communicator. He made sure to carefully angle it so that Red-X couldn't be seen.
"I can't find Red-X anywhere, it's like he disappeared into thin air. I think that I should come and help you Robin," she said in distress.
"I…" Robin looked up at Red-X's impassive mask and wondered what the face behind it looked like, "keep looking Starfire." He shut the transmitter, feeling guilty.
He stood up and reach up to take off Red-X's mask. As he was doing it he wondered why it was this easy, he had been certain that Red-X wouldn't give up his identity without a fight. He eased up the mask, exposing a strong jaw-line, full pink lips, an indistinguishable nose and then a black mask over his eyes.
Robin laughed softly, "I should have known it wouldn't be that easy."
"I think you'll find nothing ever is with me," Red-X said as he whipped off the rest of the mask, exposing platinum blonde hair that fell messily over the mask.
"Wow, noticeable." Robin chuckled as he pulled a strand gently.
"Which is why I need the mask," Red-X laughed as well.
They were quiet once more as they drew closer; they both felt the keen anticipation that comes before a kiss before Robin's belt rang once again. Red-X groaned and pulled away while Robin answered the transmitter, "Yes?" he said; trying not to let the impatience bleed into his voice.
"Yo, it's Cyborg, Starfire told us about Red-X and we're on our way, me and Beast Boy are going to help Starfire and Raven is coming to help you."
"I don't need any help…" Robin started.
"Oh yes you do," Cyborg said, "we're not letting you fight alone again, Raven is coming and that's final." The transmitter was cut off and Robin groaned with frustration. He turned around to Red-X and found him a lot closer than he had left him. "Well if they're coming now, we had better make this quick." Red-X practically purred. "How long do you think we have?"
"If it's Raven, one or two minutes." Robin said, excitement seeping into his voice against his will.
Red-X smirked and pressed his lips against Robin's for the first time. Robin felt something primal awaken within him and pressed against Red-X harder, letting out a small moan. Red-X then grasped Robin's hair with one hand and slipped another around his waist to pull him flush against Red-X's body. They were only kissing for another few moments before Robin pulled away, "No, this is wrong," he said, "I'm not gay."
Red-X rolled his eyes, "your erection seems to disagree." He said, pointing towards a noticeable lump behind the very revealing spandex.
Robin blushed, "yeah well that thing doesn't obey me at the best of times."
Red-X snorted, "did you just refer to your penis as a 'thing', where's the love Robin?"
Robin turned away, "I'm not gay Red-X, so you can take you and your…" he flailed around to find the right word.
"Cooties?" Red-X suggested, a barely concealed smirk on his face.
"Gayness," Robin corrected with a glare, "away."
Red-X laughed, "face it Robin, you're just about as straight as a roundabout."
"Robin?" Raven's faraway voice came and Robin jumped.
"I'm in here," he called weakly, "Red-X is with me."
"Well that's not very nice," Red-X said, "Two against one, not very good odds is it?"
"You lost the right to a fair fight when you started to steal." Robin said between gritted teeth.
"I didn't mean me," Red-X smirked, putting his mask back on, "I meant you two little birdies."
Robin sprang towards Red-X and captured one of his wrists in handcuffs.
Red-X looked dispassionately towards them, gave a one-shouldered shrug and then kicked Robin back into a pile of crates and transported away.
Raven came around the corner just as Robin was starting to get up, "Robin, where's Red-X?"
Robin stalked past her in anger, "I don't know." He spat.
For the next few weeks Robin's foul mood remained, he would snap at people, spend more time than necessary in the gym, go out late at nights and then return in an even worse mood than when he had left.
The rest of the Titans were flummoxed; the only times when Robin wasn't angry was when he was staring off into the distance with a small half-smile on his face.
Little known to them, the reason why Robin was going out at nights was not to burn off some steam by riding around on his motorbike like he had told them, but it was because he would go and see Red-X. They would meet up, talk, then kiss, Robin would shout at Red-X and then they would depart, both in an unbelievably bad mood, before repeating it again the next night. It was quite an endearing routine they had really.
Neither could understand the other, Robin couldn't reason why Red-X would be a thief and Red-X didn't know why Robin had to be the hero. But they both knew the feelings between. They were dark, sordid and harsh; it was a magnetic attraction that brought their lips together. The feelings were undeniably real, no matter how many times Red-X tried to pass their meetings off as a passing fancy and Robin said they were a teenage phase.
Both of them knew that something was going to have to give; but they were slowly becoming addicted to each other.
"Red-X!" Robin roared, playing the part of an angry hero perfectly.
"Well perceived," Red-X replied cheerfully, while putting the last diamond necklace into his bag.
"Titans go!" Robin shouted, launching into action along with the other Teen Titans.
Both sides fought hard, but Red-X kept getting the better of them. He would swerve away from Cyborg's sonic cannon, avoid the objects thrown at him by Raven's powers, duck Starfire's energy blasts and outmanoeuvre Beast Boy. Whenever Robin got close they would fight with fleeting touches that would linger on this skin moments after the hands had disappeared.
Finally Cyborg got frustrated with Red-X's laughs and insults and brought out the technology he had been working on a few weeks ago. It was still experimental, but perhaps it would work against Red-X.
He threw it on the floor surreptitiously and waited for Red-X to step on it. He was rewarded a couple of seconds later when Red-X dodged a roundhouse kick from Robin and his foot nudged the device. It reacted immediately and the metal expanded outwards and then upwards to surround Red-X.
Cyborg punched the air triumphantly, "Boo-ya!" he shouted in celebration.
There were only a couple of seconds of rest before banging began on the inside of the box. "Help!" Red-X shouted desperately, "Please, please, I'm begging, let me out! The Xenothium isn't working, I can't get out!"
Robin then remembered with a jolt what Red-X had said, "I'm claustrophobic as well…".
"Wait, Cyborg, let him out." Robin said as Red-X's shouts got louder.
"What?" Cyborg said, staring at Robin as if he'd gone mad, "we finally caught him, why on earth would we let him out?"
Robin hesitated, but Red-X's shouts descended into screams and even Raven was looking at the metal box with some unease.
"He's claustrophobic." Robin said.
"Claustro- what now?" Beast Boy asked in confusion.
"It means he can't stand small spaces!" Robin snapped, "Cyborg let him out."
"No way man, he's just gonna have to deal with it until we hand him in to the police." Cyborg said stubbornly.
"Robin!" Red-X's cry came, broken, "please, get me out."
"Cyborg, how do I let him out?" Robin demanded.
"I'm not telling you man, he's probably just tricking you." Cyborg said, shaking his head calmly.
Robin growled and turned to Raven, "Let him out."
She regarded him calmly for a moment, "are you sure Robin?"
"Yes!" He shouted in frustration.
"Okay." She turned her hands towards the box and dismantled the pieces, letting Red-X fall out.
His body was shuddering with broken sobs and he was curled in upon himself. Robin launched himself at him, as if to attack, but when he reached Red-X's body he pressed the transport button to take them both to the warehouse.
When they landed Robin took Red-X's mask off quickly, smiling slightly with wry amusement when seeing the mask underneath, Red-X had obviously planned ahead. He smoothed the blonde hair down and cradled Red-X in his arms. "It's okay." He soothed, "you're out now."
"I couldn't breathe." Red-X whispered, "I thought you were going to leave me there."
"I wouldn't have done that." Robin said as he kissed Red-X's sweaty forehead tenderly.
"Thank you." Red-X said, his voice wavering.
"Don't thank me, you saved me first." Robin said quietly.
They sat there for at least fifteen minutes, just sitting quietly while Robin held the other man in his arms, before Red-X had calmed down as much as he could do, "thank you Robin." Red-X said softly, "to be honest I thought you wouldn't let me out, I thought you had too much of a hero complex to let the bad guy escape."
"So did I." Robin admitted, "but I guess you just wormed your way into my life too well."
"Did I steal your heart away?" Red-X said with a weak grin.
Robin groaned, "That was a terrible pun."
"Most of mine are."
Robin looked at Red-X for a moment before bringing their faces together for a soft, chaste kiss. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Me too." Red-X said bringing his arms around Robin's waist.
"I should get going," Robin said unconvincingly.
"So should I." Red-X agreed.
"Do you want to get a pizza?" Robin said out of the blue.
Red-X stared at him, "what, seriously? How are you thinking of doing that when we are supposed to be mortal enemies?"
Robin blushed, "yeah, good point."
Red-X smiled, "but if you want a date then I am happy to agree."
Robin grinned back.
"But on one condition," Red-X continued, "no masks."
Robin stared at him, "you're joking right, you know there's no way I could…"
"Relax boy wonder," Red-X interrupted, "I wasn't expecting it tomorrow, I know you'll need time to work out what possible motive I could have to get you to unmask, I could just save you time and repeat myself that I'm not in it to rule the world, just for the jewels. I could also mention that I wouldn't sell you out for material objects because there's no fun in money unless I stole it. I could also say that unfortunately I don't think I'm ever gonna want to give you up, so that means that I'd never do anything to jeopardise whatever we're doing." Red-X paused, "but I know you need some time, so I'll just wait."
Robin stared at him in wonder, "thank you."
"No problem birdie." Red-X said softly.
When Robin entered the tower he did so with a sense of trepidation. He knew there was a serious conversation to be had with the team and he wasn't looking forward to it.
"Friend Robin!" Starfire cried, "we have been so worried after Red-X teleported you away from us, are you well?" she checked over his body with swift hands while Robin squirmed uncomfortably.
"I'm fine Starfire, could you stop prodding me please?" he asked quietly.
"Are you quite sure?" Starfire asked, her eyes wide with worry.
Robin fought the urge to look away from her in guilt, "I'm alright."
"Then what the hell happened?" Cyborg said, his face set in a grim expression.
"Yeah, we couldn't believe you fell for that 'claustro-whatever' stunt that he pulled," Beast-Boy said in disbelief.
"It wasn't a stunt," Robin said, "he really is claustrophobic."
"That doesn't matter," Cyborg said, his human eye narrowing, "he is a thief and he deserves to go to prison for his crimes. Why were you, of all people, protecting him?"
"I…" Robin sighed, "I just know how it feels and nobody deserves it," he said, loosely echoing Red-X's own sentiment.
"You are claustrophobic Robin?" Starfire said with surprise, "why did you not tell us?"
"It isn't something that I like being spread around." Robin said through gritted teeth, "when I worked with the Batman I was captured by some thugs and forced to spend five days inside a metal crate that was roughly the size of a small dog cage. There was no light or food and the only water I had was sent through a small hole in the wall three times a day. If I'm ever shut into a small space all those feelings of weakness and terror just come back, like I never left that cage." Robin shuddered just thinking about it.
He remembered when he had first come to. He had been curled up so tight and when he moved to stretch his aching muscles he found that he couldn't. It was the most terrifying thing he thought he had encountered. The water that had been sent through was dirty with mud and he had been forced to lap it off the floor. When Bruce had pried open the cage and let the blinding light in he had never felt more like an animal. He had shied away from the light while the stench of his own urine rose into the air. His costume was dark with dirt and sweat and his mask had been hanging off his face limply.
The softly uttered "Oh God," by Bruce had been the closest thing to sympathy he had ever received from him. Robin didn't remember much of the ride back to the Manor. He thought it had been spent in a fevered state with him both crying out for his mother and cursing at Bruce while tears streamed down his face. He was glad he didn't remember it in its entirety. Bruce had never mentioned the incident again and he was eternally grateful for that, he knew that his adopted father understood what it was like to have experienced something so awful that he never wanted to think about it again.
Raven gave him a sympathetic look from the corner, she had already known what had happened to Robin all those years ago but it didn't make telling the rest of his team any easier.
"That is truly awful Robin," Starfire said, her face a picture of pity, "what happened to the terrible people who did that to you?"
"I'm not sure," Robin shrugged, "I think they were put away for drug dealing."
Beast-Boy looked at him in disbelief, "don't you care Robin?"
"Not particularly," Robin said sharply, "it's in the past and they can't touch me now."
If he was honest he didn't even remember what they looked like. They had probably been the stereotypical villains that had a particular kind of sadistic insanity that had been conditioned by their own hard lives. He didn't think their goal had been to torture him, just to get him out the way with the least fuss without adding murder to their long list of offences.
Cyborg sighed, "as much as I feel sorry for you man, your own experience is regardless when we're dealing with Red-X, I know it would be hard for you to listen to him suffer, but you're not that easy to guilt-trip."
Robin worried the inside of his lip, "I may have a confession, do you guys remember when I came back from a night on patrol with some head and stomach injuries?" At the Titan's nods he continued, "well I had encountered Billy Numerous robbing a bank so I tried to stop him."
"Without us?" Beast-Boy said, "Why dude? You know how hard he is to beat with five of us!"
"I know, it was stupid of me," Robin said, "but I was frustrated from my lack of leads on Red-X and needed an outlet. I followed Billy into a warehouse and he knocked me momentarily unconscious. When I came to I was trapped inside one of the metal crates. I knew that Billy was probably long gone but I couldn't help shouting for help. Red-X heard me somehow and let me out."
"Oh, so when Red-X was shouting to be let out…" Beast-Boy said.
"…I couldn't just leave him there when he had done it for me." Robin finished.
"Well that explains why you let him out," Cyborg said, "but why did you come back empty-handed when he was clearly weakened?"
Robin stiffened, he had told his team mates all the truth they needed to know, but he couldn't say that he simply allowed Red-X to walk away, they would demand to know why and they weren't stupid. They would figure out that he had… feelings for the thief.
"Red-X used a short-term paralysing gas from his belt so he could run away," Robin said turning away, hoping his team would take that as a sign of humiliation rather than deceit.
"Oh." Cyborg said, trying to hide his disappointment.
Robin cleared his throat, "if it's okay with you guys I think I'm going to go get some rest."
"Okay," Cyborg said, while the rest of the team gave Robin small smiles.
As Robin trudged steadily towards his room he failed to notice Raven hovering behind him until she cleared her throat. He turned wearily around and gave her a questioning glance.
"Your mental energies have been very up and down lately," she said quietly, "I wanted to see if you would let me ask you how you are."
"I'm fine." Robin said automatically.
"Clearly," Raven said.
"I'm just tired," Robin said and turned around to start walking again. He was nearly at the end of the hallway when he heard Raven speak again and what he said made him stop dead in his tracks.
"I'm glad you've finally accepted your homosexuality."
"What?" Robin whirled around, "I'm not gay!"
"Okay, you've started to then," Raven corrected herself.
"I'm not, Raven!" Robin protested.
Raven gave him a sad look, "Robin, I've been inside your head, no matter how much we both dislike it I know everything about you." When Robin remained silent she continued, "I have kept my silence about this issue for nearly two years now, waiting for you to discover yourself by yourself, as is your right."
"Then why bring it up now?" Robin shot back.
"Because you're starting to experiment," Raven said without a hint of a blush on her cheeks, "and I know you, you are just going to bottle all your negative feelings inside until it damages you unless you have someone who will force their way in for you to talk to."
"And you have bravely volunteered?" Robin sneered.
"Yes." Raven said simply, "I do not judge you Robin and I know that the rest of us won't either, although Starfire may be a little upset."
"If I was gay, and I'm not saying that I am because I'm not, but if I was gay… then…" Robin stopped talking and slid onto the floor, "oh God, why me?"
Raven sat next to him, her legs crossed, "that is a question that no one can answer."
"So?" Robin said defensively, "you don't understand."
"Doubtful," Raven said, "considering that I am a raging lesbian."
Robin did a double take, "what really?"
Raven gave a one-shoulder shrug.
"Then how come you haven't told anyone else if you're saying that I should?" Robin asked, his voice high pitched.
"First of all, I haven't said that you should tell anyone, I've simply said that we would accept you if you did and secondly, I share hardly anything with anyone and I like it that way. I am perfectly comfortable within myself and I don't need anyone to reassure me, if anyone asks me directly I will tell them the truth gladly but I'm not going to shout it from the rooftops."
"Oh," Robin said.
Raven gave him a rare friendly pat on the arm and stood up, offering her hand to help him stand as well. Robin ignored it and stood by himself.
"Don't worry Robin," Raven said, "take your time thinking over this and remember that you can talk to me."
She walked away from Robin, leaving him to stew in his thoughts of worry.
It was a month until Robin saw Red-X again. He filled it with bloody noses and bruised ribs, as if he needed to prove his masculinity. It was only after Raven pulled him aside and told him that being gay didn't actually make him into a woman that he relented.
As he thought about it later that night in his room he admitted that it had been an irrational reaction to his apparently 'bent' sexuality. He knew that he was a masculine man. He loved fast cars and beer. He liked violent movies and sports. He was a man, who just happened to like other men.
If anything that made him more masculine, Robin reasoned, why should he settle for the soft curves of a woman that were pliable underneath his hands when he could have the hard planes of a man. Someone who wouldn't bend under his will. Someone who would fight back and leave delicious marks where no one else could see. Someone who would pull him close and grind against him in a sinful manner.
Robin groaned when he felt an erection begin to grow. He knew who this 'someone' was. Red-X. Dreams of his body intertwining with Robin's had replaced his usual nightmares. Robin was having a hard time deciding which ones he hated more. At least with the visions of his parents falling to their deaths he didn't wake up with stained and sticky sheets.
Robin pressed his hand against his erection hard, he had already gotten himself off twice today over thoughts of Red-X's mouth wrapped lovingly around his dick. He wasn't going to do it again.
Robin cricked his neck roughly, trying to shake the erotic thoughts out of his mind. He glanced at the digital clock by his bedside table, saw that it was three in the morning and grimaced. He had to get up early in the morning for training practise and he hadn't meant to stay up so late.
Robin stripped off his costume until he was wearing only his boxers and his mask. He knew it was a little paranoid of him, but he didn't want to take any risks with his identity, that was why he hadn't taken off his mask at all in the three years he had been leader of the Teen Titans.
Robin threw himself heavily onto the bed and let his body bounce up and down. He looked up at the ceiling and said quietly, "lights off".