3rd POV-

Robin had finished his lecture, and all of the teens were dismissed to their rooms. Beast Boy and Cyborg, however, gravitated towards the couch, muttering something about video games, and unsurprisingly clicked on the television and began hollering while the sound of animated guns shots and video game characters screaming filled the room.

Starfire floats off happily, blabbering on about some sort of Tamaranian thing to Robin, completely oblivious to the fact that he's not listening, as they travel down the hall. Raven pitter-pattered her way to the kitchen, filling her kettle and picking out a bag of tea. Earl Grey sounds really good after the day she's had.

She takes her tea back to her room, the feeling of the warm mug on her palms comforting her sore hands. She shuffles to the door, flicking on the light switch and closing her door behind her. Finally she has some time alone. She sips, using her powers to hold a book in front of her tired eyes, and settles in, soaking in the words from the pages blissfully.

The teens were finally able to relax, as they were given time off from crime-fighting for awhile. They'd decided on a trip to Tokyo, something Raven is particularly looking forward to, and they'd be leaving in a few days, so Raven made a priority out of learning everything that there is to know about the culture. This time, she researched famous destinations, making note of the ones she'll visit.

The hotel has been booked; it's a small, yet classy one in the heart of the city, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Raven hopes that she'll be the one to sleep alone, but Starfire is unlikely to sleep in the same room as a boy, so it seems she would be out of luck. There's a small kitchen, however, and a miniature living room in between the kitchen and the rooms.

Everyone was packing eagerly, as they are scheduled to depart early morning on the day after tomorrow. Raven has already started packing, her suitcases filled to the brim with a combination of books, clothing, cosmetic products, insence... Normal Raven-y things. The others aren't likely to pack much, other than Starfire, perhaps, so hopefully Raven would be allowed on the plane with all of that luggage.

Raven eventually nods off, curled in a cute little heap atop her blankets, still wearing her cloak, the hood pulled over her head. The boys eventually retire to their rooms also, and Starfire ultimately decides to sleep before the big day, too, her pet worm curled up beside her.

The next morning, Raven awakens considerably earlier than the rest, and she washes out her tea mug and refills it with a new Teavanna brew, Youthberry, in which she's taken a liking to, and sits on the tower's sectional until the others are woken by their alarms and ready to head out.

It's still dark outside, and Raven peers over to the TV console, legs crossed, and reads the lit characters... 5:13 A.M. The boys and Starfire should be up by six. Raven sips her tea, the familiar taste evoking comfort in the depths of her churning mind. Opportunities like these don't present themselves often at all when your job requires constant preparation, so she organizes the seemingly endless amounts of things she'll cram into this trip.

And then, when she thinks she'll have some time to herself, Robin comes marching into the main room, shamelessly calling out for the others to wake up, to which Starfire comes happily flying out of her room and the two boys groan in protest, much to Raven's frustration. Can't a girl just have some alone time for once?

By the time that 6:00 A.M. actually rolls around, disheveled teens are scattered about the tower, their exhausted bodies heaving their luggage around, waiting for it to actually be time to leave for Tokyo. However, one of the adolescents is anything but tired, and, in fact, adopts an aura of anxiousness and anticipation, to which Raven can conclude has nothing to do with their trip. It's so obvious to Raven that there's something on her mind, and being empathic, she makes damn sure she finds out what that is and fixes it before anything can go awry.

But first, Raven checks around her royal blue-painted room for any items that have gone unnoticed in her rush to prepare. Nothing in her dressers, nothing in her bathroom, nothing in her closet.

"Thirty Minutes!" Robin's authoritative voice bellows throughout the tower walls. He's their leader and all, but Raven secretly resents the fact that he assumes power over everyone. Well, he is trying to protect us. But is it necessary for him to monitor every single thing that the teens do? Much of his "work" appears unnecessary for professional matters, but are much more likely due to his own obsession with being better than everyone and making sure that they know it. And neuroticism, Raven assumes.

Heaving the bag to her door, Raven mulls over what she'd packed for one last time, and reaching her ash-grey hand to the door, she can sense someone behind it. Starfire, of course. She opens the door slowly, so as not to startle Starfire, and to the naive girl's surprise, Raven retains her expressionless face as their eyes meet, as she'd been expecting Raven to be just as startled as she was. She flinched a bit as Raven shut the door and gazed at her panicked friend expectantly.

"What is it, Star?" Starfire bites her lip nervously, peering down at her feet and clasping her hands together.

"Friend Raven, you speak the Japanese language, am I correct?" Her usually bubbly, excited voice is infested with nervousness and embarrassment. Raven quickly became irritated. This is a complete waste of time.

"Uh, yes, that's right. Why?" Starfire looked Raven in the eyes, her emerald orbs glowing and fearful. Raven furrows her brows, sensing for other people around. There aren't, and Raven isn't sure if she should be grateful or worried at that fact.

"Well," Starfire cleared her throat, "I would wish for you to teach me, Friend Raven." What the hell is this? Raven crosses her arms and leans on the wall for support, her right foot flat against the wall and knee bent.

"...Okay?" Starfire shakes her head and chuckles with false comfort, biting her nails and preparing something to say.

"Friend Raven, Tamaranians do not learn new languages in the traditional sense. The process is more involved." Just spit it out already! What's her deal? Raven rubs her temples in frustration, moving violet locks of hair aside.

"So do you want me to, um, use pictures or something?" Starfire took Raven's hands in hers, looking down at them as she spoke faintly, so as not to grab the attention of any spectators.

Her voice resembles a soft purr. "Raven, people of my kind learn new languages by way of lip contact. I think that inhabitants of this planet refer to this as the 'kiss'." Raven's heart stops.

"...Elaborate…" Raven is slightly more attentive this time.

"Friend Raven, I would need to 'kiss' you for awhile, and possibly multiple times if our attempts aren't successful. Please, Raven, I would appreciate it so much…" Raven withdrew her hands and crossed her arms again. She looked Starfire in the eyes with a cold, expressionless stare, hoping this will be over soon.

"But it's not a romantic gesture, is it?" Raven's voice is monotone and even, deeply contrasting Starfire's, thick with emotion and hesitation. It can't be like that. Raven is positive that she's straight.

"Pardon me?"

"You're not kissing me because you, erhm, 'like' me, correct?" Starfire seems relatively relieved at Raven's understanding, and also at the fact that Raven hasn't thrown her out of the tower in offence. At least, not quite yet.

"Absolutely not, Friend Raven. This is purely for learning purposes." Raven can't help but chuckle a bit at this. In the naive way that Starfire puts it, it sounds like kissing lessons, which Raven certainly has no experience with. Raven takes Starfire's hand, panning down the hallways for reassurance, and pulls the orange-skinned teen into her room. "Why, friend, thank you so much! I am so appreciative that you-"

Fuck it. Let's get this over with. Raven takes hold of the taller girl's shirt, pulling her down to her level and cupping her cheek, looking her sternly in the eye before tilting her head slightly to catch Starfire's soft lips with hers.

Starfire is startled at first, but quickly calms and grips Raven's shoulders tenderly, mouthing the other girl with renewed confidence.

The girls hold one another close, pressing their bodies together and rocking against one another gently at the ministrations. Starfire strokes her nimble fingers through Raven's hair as the demi-demon releases Starfire with a soft pop, and Starfire struggles against Raven's attempts to leave prematurely by pressing her forehead against the other girl's, weaving her fingers with Raven's and holding them at their sides.

"Thank you, Friend Raven." Raven's heart is throbbing, pumping hot, poisonous blood through her veins. She can feel the sweat start to bead up on her forehead. This is crazy. Starfire releases her, but it takes awhile for Raven's mind to register this, and she adjusts her cloak nervously, looking down at her feet in embarrassment. Why did I do this?

"So, did it work?" Raven's deadpan facade has been long shattered by Starfire's strawberry lips, and her breath hitches, her emotions running through her in waves with fervor. She's shaking, and she wishes with every fiber of her being that somehow this is just another vision, even though she's sure as hell that it isn't.

"I think we might need a few more tries…" Starfire's voice is apologetic, knowing of Raven's difficulty at the moment. "...In Tokyo, of course." Starfire floats out as quickly as she came in, leaving Raven in her state of shock and uncomfortable sweatiness, her heart practically exploding within her sensitive chest. She stands there, slack-jawed and eyes wide, letting her brain register with what's just happened.

What the HELL did I get myself into?

Starfire closed the door with a soft click, followed by Robin's voice again.

"Titans, let's go! The plane isn't going to wait for us!"

...Damn it.