"One more dance? Pleeeeease?" Raven rolled her eyes and gave the blonde a sad smile. "I'm actually pretty tired. Plus, that goth from before looks keen to go again"
Pandemonium. Not only was it the name of the bar Raven currently occupied, but it was also a brief summary of the majority of her night. Since the Titans ditched the "Teen", Raven had been inducted into a small, tight-knit group of students; all decidedly alternative in their personalities and styles. Despite the initial tension caused by her association with a group of citizens, eventually the other Titans simmered down and grew to like her new friends: none more than Cyborg who was an almost-groupie himself- despite skipping the gay clubbing side of things.
Which was not only tiring for the twenty-something half-breed, but mind boggling as to why she let Kyle drag her along on these trips.
Kyle - given name Kylie - was the one who started Raven's transition to a more 'normal' life. A trip-crash between the girls at the library had set off a weekly tea-house routine, which had most recently ended with a party and Raven's introduction to the rest of her new friends. Kylie was short and feisty, with plenty of piercings and an appetite for paperbacks only equaled by her absolute chocolate addiction. They were polar opposites in many ways, but best friends under all accounts; probably, Raven reasoned, why she let Kyle (who was also very gay) drag her around on these Friday night shenanigans.
The blonde cocked her head to one side, a drunken ripple of concern crossing her face as she perched beside the dark titan. "Hey, are you okay? We can head in early if you don't want to be here." Raven bit her lip as she thought this through, before elbowing her friend towards the dance-floor. "I'm just tired, but I am… I will be fine. Don't let this spoil your evening." Kyle raised an eyebrow, disbelieving. "If you say so. But you don't need to be so damn stoic all the time. If something's bugging, hit me up, or…" She suddenly grinned. "...you could find a raunchy beauty in here, somewhere." Raven snorted into her tea, flipping the girl off as she assured her she'd keep it in mind. "Scram. That girl won't wait forever"
Grinning, her friend melted into the crowd, and Raven sighed; dropping her head onto her arms as she leaned dejectedly against the counter. It wasn't just the late night exhaustion getting to her: the whole 'normal' thing was just too confusing. Since her defeat of Trigon as a young teen she'd been more in touch with her emotions, which meant she'd suddenly been faced with problems she's never even noticed, before; her dreams or sense of self… or sexuality. Known for being stoic she found herself drifting away from the other titans for a time, unsure what to do with her newfound "freedom". Somewhat bitterly, she chuckled in a wry grin, remembering that "freedom is the worst kind of cage".
And now, she was here. Dressed in dark jeans and misery, scuffed docs leaning edgily against the bar. She snorted, suddenly disgusted by her self-righteous whinging. "Self pity is for suckers" she muttered angrily, looking for the barman so as to order another drink. If she was here she may as well enjoy it, even if it wasn't her usual cup of tea.
The stool beside her creaked as someone swung around beside her, raising a pale arm to flag down the barman with a winning smile. "I'll have a walking fish with sweeteners" the mystery woman (girl?) drawled, before turning to the Raven and grinning. "...And a refill for whatever this one wants. It's a crime to be sitting along when you're that gorgeous." This was too weird. Blushing furiously, Raven looked slightly to the right to catch a glimpse of the slender girl beside her; perched elegantly on her chair as she leaned over the bar with one pale hand laced through her bubble-gum pink hair, and the other drumming an obsidian ring in a racy but recognizable tune - at least to Raven's ears.
"A children's Crusade on Acid? Wouldn't have taken you for a Margot fan." The girl spun around to face her, as she elfishly winked and exclaimed. "So, she's super cute and has great taste. Do you have a name, miss…" She trailed off, and both girls gasped as pink cat eyes met void purple. "Raven?" "Jinx…" Despite the pounding music and piercing strobes, the space between them was suddenly thickened with a tense silence. Until, Jinx threw a hand melodramatically in the air, before knocking her head on the bar in frustration. "What the hell is this? Why you? And…" She trailed off, muttering something unintelligibly distraught. Raven was torn. True, she hadn't seen the villainess in years, but they were enemies and… and the waves of distress emanating from Jinx's hunched form were making her incredibly uneasy. Concerned, almost.
Steeling herself with a deep breath, she rested a hand on the girl's bare shoulder; closing the space between them as she muttered soft apologies. For what she didn't know. But it seemed to be working, as Jinx's breathing steadied and she raised bleary eyes to once more meet Raven's own violet orbs. If the demoness didn't know better, she'd think Jinx was feeling… depressed? Bitter? By why now? And why did she sense that these feelings were Raven's fault?
The barman returned with Jinx's drink, raising an eyebrow at Raven. Jinx leaned into her shoulder, both girls stiffening slightly at the second touch. "You didn't order" she mumbled quietly, bringing a blush to Raven's cheeks as she quickly asked for a chai tea - maybe that would soothe her nerves. Jinx's cocktail remained untouched, as they sat there with an unexplained sadness bridging the void between them.
When it arrived, Raven's tea was also left alone, both girls quietly watching the ebb and flow of patrons all around. Was it the embrace they were so reluctant to break? Or was it something more… But as moments are, this one was broken by the vibration of an incoming text, from Kyle. The girls sprang apart and raven dug around in her pocket, blushing as she snorted with indignation at the flickering screen.
LOOKS LYK U AND UR EX NEED 2 SORT SOME THINGS OUT, I'LL LEAVE U 2 IT BUT TXT IF YOU WANT A HAND
Jinx giggled as she read the text over Raven's shoulder, the tension slightly easing as both girls broke into hysterical grins. "Your ex? What kind of sick joke is that?" Raven suddenly sniggered, elbowing Jinx jovially as the enchantress's mouth dropped open in a surprised O. "Cat got your tongue?" She grinned, glad to be rid of the silence. "Although." She internally chastised herself. "It's probably just sleep deprivation making me crazy." Jinx returned a softer smile, lacing her fingers through the demon's hand. "It's lovely when you laugh, you should do it more often." Breaking the grip on her hand, Raven turned slightly in a pink flush, when Jinx also whispered "It's cute when you blush, too. Probably turns girls right on…" ...Before bubbling with laughter at Raven's heightened embarrassment. When Jinx stopped laughing, they shared an uneasy grin, before Raven cursed and began to stare at her feet. This was her. Raven. A Titan. With Jinx. The gravity of the situation was overwhelming. And not without consequences.
Guttingly, she began to speak. "Jinx… I'm having a better time, but I don't even know you. And with everything that happened before, this just doesn't feel rig...umph" Jinx closed the gap by placing her hand over Raven's mouth, looking seriously at the demoness as the Hex Master stole her turn. "Raven. I know that we aren't the best of friends… well, hell, we were enemies. And we're on different sides of the law and yes I don't even know you but this feels good and I want to see how it plays out." The last few words tumbled out in a nervous blur, but they hit Raven right where it hurts. Right in the solar plexus of her heart. The neon lights flashed obnoxiously, but it was like the world of noise had ground to a halt. That outside there was nothing but the two of them… "Nothing but the two of us" Raven whispered. "What" Jinx demanded, looking confused. Blushing furiously, Raven offered a small smile. "Nothing that matters, now."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Jinx ran a finger through her hair. "Good. Well, not to break the moment…" She grimaced, gesturing to the increasingly drunken crowd. "... But would you like to finish this at mine? I won't try anything, I swear." With a start, Raven noticed how the girl's hair was wound around her shoulders, framing her face instead of in it's usual freaky horns. In fact, this was nothing like the Jinx she remembered at all. Could it really do such harm? Except for… "Robin"
"okay… what? Rae, I expected you to say many things, but bird brain was not one of them"
Offering Jinx a wry, bitter grin, Raven began to explain. "Back when we first joined the teen titans we signed a contract… of rules, almost. And one of the most important things was no fraternizing with criminals. Especially…" She gestured between them. "...Not romantically."
Jinx looked unimpressed. "So what? I mean he doesn't have to find out, and besides, the worst that he could do is…" "Jinx." The dark titan steeled her emotions as the enchantress nervously met her gaze . "... I could be kicked out of the titans.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
yes, it's short and yes I am so sorry for lack of edits but HEY if you want this continued then review asap before I get bored of this pair. I'm still only halfway through chapter four of the other fic, but I'll get there!