It was 2:30 in the morning when Robin finally admitted defeat to his insomnia. He trudged down the stairs and turned into the kitchen, almost jumping out of his skin when Raven appeared around the corner. She was sitting on a stool, slouched over a heavy novel and a steaming cup of tea. She hadn't yet acknowledged his presence, but he was sure she knew he was there. He paused, then entered heading straight for the cupboard for a glass.

"Hey Raven," he said nonchalantly, pretending like she wasn't making him more nervous than Cinderblock ever would. She hummed what he could only guess was a 'Hello'. She was engrossed in her newest buy, the last book in a series that she had been waiting for almost 2 years to read. The protagonist was just about to slay the beast that was guarding the last key to the enchanted cell that was holding his best friend and "true love".

At first, Raven had thought of the girl as self-centered and overall pretty useless (so had the protagonist), but the characters had all started to grow on her.

'The chimaera stalked closer, fangs flashing a poisonous green in the dull light. I was holding the sword of hero's so tightly now, that my knuckles were white and numb. The comforting hum of its hilt in my hand kept me from losing my grip though, and for that I was eternally grateful. The beast opened it's mouth and-'

The whirring of the refrigerators ice dispenser clanked loudly and Raven looked up at Robin, eyebrow raised in irritation. He smiled at her guiltily and quickly finished filling his glass with water then sat down next to her, sipping it quietly. She gave him one last long look before turning back to her book.

'The comforting hum of it's hilt in my hand kept me from losing my grip though, and for that I was eternally grateful. The beast-'

"That a good book?" Robin asked. Raven almost flinched in surprise. In the few seconds it had taken to completely zone in on the book, she had forgotten that he was there.

"Mhm," she hummed, not even looking up. She stared hard at the book trying to concentrate, but a moment later, she realized she just kept reading the same line over again. She was now fully aware that he was staring at her and it made her feel a little self conscious and shifty. Why was he looking at her like that? She brought the cup of lukewarm tea to her lips and took a tentative gulp.

"Hey, Raven?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

He fell quite again and she just assumed that he had decided to dropped the barely formed conversation when he continued.

"You know, not all girls can say that they're half Angel."

Raven inhaled her tea and coughed violently turning to look at him, completely bewildered and caught off guard.

"What?" she gasped between coughs. "Angel?" Apparently he was very misinformed and Raven just had to wonder what was in that "water".

"What *cough* in the world gave you the impression *cough cough* that I'm an angel?" Robin smirked and snatched a rag from the sink to clean up the tea she had just spit all over the counter.

"Demons are fallen angels that betrayed God and followed Satan on the path of darkness, right?" he asked. Raven raised an eyebrow, her well known what-are-you-up-to look plastered on her face.

"That depends on what religion you follow, but yeah. That's the main idea I guess."

"Right, and your the daughter of Trigon the Terrible, a demon." he continued.

Raven raised her other eyebrow to join the first. "I thought we had established this when I was forced to become his portal and destroy this dimension as we know it." She said.

"Exactly, and since you have his blood running in your veins, and you have chosen to follow the light and fight against the darkness he resides in, doesn't that make you half angel?" He stopped cleaning to look at her, and watched her with utmost seriousness.

'Oh,' She thought. Raven looked away, either embarrassed or simply unable to look at his innocent sincerity.

"That... that's not quite how it works Robin..." She murmured.

Robin tossed the rag back into the sink and turned back to look at her. "Well then, tell me why you think that and I'll prove you wrong." He said. Her eyes darted back to his masked face and she tried to read his expression, but he had carefully wiped his face clear of any emotion and she couldn't see his eyes. She was tempted to peak into his mind through their bond, but he had already put up a block against her.

"It's... hard to explain. Let's just say there will be a lot of confusion when I die as to where I'll go. The do-gooder demon or dark heroin, will she go to heaven or he-" he interrupted her, the face around his mask becoming hard.

"You didn't choose who your parents are and if I know anything, it's that the decisions YOU make are the ones that matter, not the decision your parents make." Again she turned away. As touched as she was about his concern, she didn't see how the conversation was very relevant. Or if it even had a point.

"Even if that were so, I don't see what it is your so concerned about. Kind of an odd conversation to be having at 3 in the morning."

Robin had to agree that it would probably be a better idea to discuss the topic when they were both more awake, but he couldn't let it drop now. He knew he needed to see how Raven was coping psychologically after the rise of Trigon only months ago.

"Because now is the only time when it's just the two of us. Beastboy isn't here to make his stupid jokes, Starfire isn't here to crush your bones with a hug, and Cyborg isn't here to kick my butt for hurting your feelings."

The two birds fell into silence, staring at each other and both refusing to back down from their stalemate. After a few minutes of awkward silence and even more awkward staring, Robin finally threw his hands in the air in frustrated defeat.

"Fine! I'm going to bed. Night Rae." He put his glass in the dishwasher, turned it on, then kissed Raven on the cheek before taking his leave. Raven sat there in shocked silence, cheeks burning and heart thumping. Her mind was whirring, trying to come up with a logical explanation as to why he would do what no-one else the tower would. Suddenly the dull bulb that had been providing her with her reading light shattered and she was left to think in the inky darkness.