Disclaimer: Does it look like I own them?

Teen Titans
—Flower—

It had been a fairly easy mission, though highly disgusting. Plasmus had once again woken up and broke out of his highly guarded cell to find some "tasty" treats down at the nuclear power plant. The Titans had him under control within a half hour and this time only Beast Boy was eaten. He still smelled terrible and the others feared it would take more than an hour shower to get that stench off. Needless to say, Beast Boy had declined pizza and flew home to scrub the grime off his already green skin.

". . .better not be loafin' his grimy butt all over the couch! I remember when. . ." And so the conversation between Cyborg and whoever was listening went on and on. It looked like Raven, Starfire and Robin were currently keeping up with his ranting, but looks aren't always the truth. In fact, as Cyborg walked further and further with his ranting, the more Raven was spacing off and falling behind. Raven kept looking between Starfire and "her Robin". She was still taller than him, but he looked so good on her. . . and she looked good on him. It was a match made in heaven. . . A place she could never go. A place she didn't dare try and enter. It was along the thought of "I shouldn't interfere. . ." when Starfire all of a sudden stopped walking and Raven smacked right into her back from not paying attention.

Raven was rubbing her nose when Cyborg noticed the two girls weren't with both him and Robin, anymore. "What's the holdup, Star?" Cyborg asked as he walked towards her. Starfire merely pointed. The three of them looked at the where she was pointing and saw it was the sign for a flower shop.

"Flowers, Star?" Raven asked. "I don't think we need anymore scented things around the tower because of all the scented candles you bought on your last shopping spree. I still can't believe you bought every scent that was in stock. . ." Raven sighed and shook her head. She wondered what that girl was thinking more than half the time.

Starfire shook her head. "No, not for us. The time is up coming for the commemoration of Friend Terra. I think it would be most joyous if we bought some flowers to lighten up the dark cave in which she sleeps." And before anyone could say anything, she had already burst into the flower shop and was browsing the aisles.

There was an older woman with long, graying hair kneeling by some of the flowerbeds who welcomed the young quartet in. She was obviously the owner. Her smile was warm, making her face seem decades younger. However, she quickly returned to tending the flowers at her feet.

"Hmm." Star tapped her lips with her index finger in thought. "Which should I get Friend Terra, Friend Robin?" Robin walked over from the carnation section to the roses at the sound of his name.

"I know they are your favorite flower, but I don't think red roses would be appropriate, Star." He told her.

"Why not? Are they not the flower of love, and we would want to demonstrate our love to Friend Terra. . ." She stopped as Robin shook his head.

"Not that kind of love. Roses, especially red ones, usually depict love between a boy and a girl. Not between friends." Robin ushered her over to the sunflowers as a hooded figure watched intently. She was just glad Starfire wasn't going to buy some red roses for Robin. That would have been too much for her to bear. Having a crush on someone so obviously taken is not easy, you know. Especially when that someone can suddenly feel and is denied the one emotion that feels the best and worst. She was discovering the depression love can give as she walked over to the daffodils.

Raven still watched Robin and Starfire interact. Starfire would say or ask something and Robin would answer her with a sexy smirk on his face. A smirk that she never got. They could talk so freely, and although Robin and her had a bond, they didn't talk the way they used to, anymore. It was mainly after their bond was created and until a little after her father was defeated. She missed their talks. They would go up to the roof and spend the entire night talking about everything and nothing, personal information and their theories on this case or that. It had been nearly two years since they had a talk. Now Robin was going out with Starfire, and apparently he didn't feel comfortable talking with her like that, anymore. So they had drifted apart. And Raven didn't like it.

Raven lowered her head at the daffodil in her hand and then at the sunflower in Starfire's. How could a small daffodil compare to something as warm and bright as the sun?

She felt a presence come up to her and realized it was just the shopkeeper. She had looked back down at the daffodil, anyway. She heard the clear voice of the aging woman, "Each flower has its own beauty. It isn't fair to compare them." She had said as she placed a freshly cut bouquet in a holder near the daffodils.

Raven looked at her in question. What was this old lady talking about?

"If I know anything, I know flowers. So don't let my age trick you into thinking I am just some old hag muttering inconceivable things." She said as she looked at the empath.

"I wasn't going to say that." Raven said in her defense.

"Maybe not, but you were thinking it to some degree." The old lady smiled and chuckled. "Young people these days think that they know everything about their emotions and their lives. . . They don't take the chance to talk to those who have already experienced and learned; that's their problem."

Raven couldn't make eye contact with the owner because it was true of her. She had just uncovered her emotions and discovered a thing or two — like her crush on her team leader — but had not thought about asking someone with experience with emotion. Why hadn't that thought come to her? She was a fool, through and through.

"Why do you say that each flower is beautiful?" Raven asked suddenly.

The older lady smiled. "I didn't say that each flower is beautiful. I said each one is unique with its own sense of beauty."

"Then some are ugly?"

"No, each one is different." She told Raven. "You, my dear," She said, "are not ugly as you think you are. Nothing is ugly. An individual, unique, special."

A long moment passed with no words between the two. However, the shop keeper remedied the awkwardness. "In my opinion, if anything is ugly, it would be the rose." Raven looked to her intently. Why would a rose be considered ugly? "Sure, it can be many colors and look nice, but its thorns! My, they pack a mean punch. Just like your friend over there. She may look pretty with her long ruby locks and her innocent green eyes, but her strength and her anger are not a good combination, am I correct?" Now it was the shop keeper's turn to look at Raven's reaction.

To Raven's surprise, she chuckled and said. "Her strength in general isn't a good thing when it comes to allies. I still don't see why each flower has beauty. . . Surely the carnation is more popular than the buttercup."

The old lady smiled again, it amazed Raven how one smile could melt off the years so much. "Think of it this way; imagine each person as a flower. One person pink, another yellow; each person a different shade. Individually, yes, they may be pretty; but put them together in a bouquet — a community or a family — and they are truly beautiful as they compliment one another. Only then can they shine the brightest.

"It is true that some flowers are more popular than others, but some people just have more natural charm and humor to them than others. Remember, though, that's what makes them them. That's their beauty. And before you ask, you'll just have to find your own for yourself. Or maybe that boy will find it for you." The shop owner smirked as she walked away to show Robin walking towards her.

"Raven?" Robin asked as he came face-to-face with her.

"Yes, Robin?" Raven replied.

"I would like your opinion on the flowers we picked out. We're having a bit of a disagreement on what we should get for Terra. . ." Robin rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"How about a mixed bouquet?" She suggested.

Robin thought for a moment. "You know what? That might just work. I like the way you think."

"Thank you, sir!" Raven saluted like a soldier would making Robin laugh. He smiled a gentle smile and she realized right then that he never smiled like that for anyone else. She had been waiting for him to show that sexy smirk to her all this time, thinking that he only did that to special people. But really, she was the one getting the special treatment. She might not have luxurious ruby hair and elegant green eyes, but she had her own special beauty. And Robin saw that in her. Her Robin saw that in her.

Raven smiled and lifted her hood down. This was going to be a beautiful day.

A/N: I can't believe it! For some odd reason my account wouldn't let me submit documents so I couldn't update any of my stories!! So, now that that's all over with, I can finally submit stuff. Thank goodness! And as for this stinking load of crap, I couldn't get the thought out of my head, okay? I know it didn't come out as pretty or as well as I wanted it to be. I at first wanted Robin to tell her all that stuff but realized that he probably didn't know much about flowers and that it would make much better sense from a stranger than someone she knew. If that even makes sense at all. . . Thanks for reading this poorly written oneshot.

Signed,
Her Sappiness