A/N: So, I thought I would start a new story… But just to let people know, this story won't be updated too often since it's going to be one of the "backburner stories." But I would love it if you still read it and all…

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or anything mentioned in this story. I do own one person who appears later in the story.

Prologue

Rachel Roth was in her senior year at Jump City High. She was best friends with her neighbor, Richard Grayson, and knew him better than anyone. So she could definitely tell when something was off about him, which was what was up with today. She did have one idea, but she wasn't sure about it. She grabbed the arm of her best friend, Jennifer, and quickly asked her, "Hey, what day is it today?"

"April 25th (1). Why?"

Rachel winced. "No reason. The varsity football team is practicing today, right?"

Jennifer nodded. She would know, since she was dating Victor Stone, the starting quarterback. "Why? Shouldn't you know? I mean, Dick is the star running back. And your best friend, so…"

"Just checking."

The rest of the day passed by fairly quickly, as did her dance rehearsal. She was on the senior dance team, who practiced at the same time as the varsity football team. She had to make sure she caught Richard before he left to go home.

As the rehearsal ended, she ran out of the auditorium with all of her stuff and stopped to rest outside of the doors where she knew the football team would soon be piling out of. She should've probably put on her shirt or a jacket or something, but she would just have to stay in her sports bra and shorts. In a matter of seconds after her arrival, the football team came out as she predicted. Rachel easily found Richard's head of hair, since he wasn't really talking to anyone. She seriously doubted he would anyways.

She quickly caught up to his stride and followed him silently to his car. He opened the trunk of his highlander and put his football bag and backpack into it. He took Rachel's bags from her and put those into the back as well. He closed the trunk silently and began to walk towards the driver's side, but Rachel grabbed his arm. She looked into his eyes as she took the keys out of his hand with the one that wasn't holding his arm. She pushed him towards the passenger seat as she went to drive the car.

The ride home was silent, to say the least. It wasn't in any way awkward, but it was still too silent for Rachel. Richard stared at the outside as she drove and she concentrated on something that wasn't silent.

The two arrived at Wayne Manor and she parked inside the four car garage. They silently got out and went to the trunk to get their things out. He grabbed her dance stuff before she could, and they walked into his mansion together. They dropped Rachel's stuff by the door for when she left, and his football stuff that he would need to have Alfred wash. Rachel took the lead up the stairs to his room and grabbed his hand, pulling him along.

Rachel saw Bruce poke his head out of the kitchen, expecting only Richard, but saw Rachel pulling him upstairs. She smiled at him sadly and nodded once in his direction. He nodded back, understanding the hidden meaning. Rachel and Richard finally made it up the stairs and into his room, where he dropped his backpack off on the desk chair. He turned back to Rachel, who moved into his arms. He put his hands on her hips, unsure if he should push her away or pull her closer. Rachel made the decision for him and moved closer to him. She simply kissed him flat on the mouth, lacking the passion or spark that normally occurred.

She pulled back and looked into his eyes, which were slowly clouding over with desire and lust. He kissed her this time, but with lots more passion. Rachel knew that she should let him take over this time, since he needed this. He needed her more than any other day. They would come to each other whenever they had a bad day, or needed to be comforted, or were just plain horny. And that was almost every day. This situation had started in the middle of their junior year, on this same day. Rachel could always tell he needed something, but she wasn't sure until it had started. He just needed… her. Especially today.

By the time they had finished, they lay together in a tangle of naked limbs. Richard rested his head just beneath her breasts, and she calmly played with his hair. He looked slightly better than he did before the sex, but still lost, almost like an abandoned puppy dog. And that was exactly what he was.

She ran her fingers through his long, wavy hair, trying to get his attention. He looked up at her, resting his chin on her stomach.

"It's okay to cry, you know." Richard finally processed what she had given him permission to do: cry. He wasn't sure if he could anymore, after all the years that had gone by. But as she said that, his eyes had slowly filled up with the tears he had held back for the past 11 years. They slowly ran down his face, unnoticed. Rachel's eyes had unshed tears in them as well, not for her, but for him. For what he had lost. For what he had to go through every day. He managed to keep it together for 364 days of the year, but this one day… He could let go.

Rachel took his crying face into her arms and hugged him close to her chest. She felt something wet leave her eyes, and that had triggered something inside of her. Before she knew it, they were both crying, silently, but together.

Hours later, when Richard had finally cried himself to sleep, Rachel's phone flashed with a text message. She quickly responded to Victor with the answer he had wanted to make sure of.

It was April 25th, the day Mary and John Grayson had died in a tragic accident. And it was her job to help him through it.

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(1) I'm not really sure when his parents died exactly, but… let's just assume it was April 25th.

Reviews are greatly appreciated…

~klrob