Disclaimer: Hocus pocus, mumbo jumbo, don't own them. Oh, before I forget, I don't own the song either.
Heehee... this is just a one-shot, no sequel, though it may be like something I'm going to do for one of my other stories... Hope you like!
Black Tie"So, is there a reason you're hanging around my room or do I just write this off as a death wish?"
Robin rubbed his neck, nervous as Raven continued to glare at him. Keep it cool, he reminded himself. Take one for the team.
"Well?" The Goth promoted, her mood not improving. Her day had not been good. First, there was Beast boy "accidentally" swapping her herbal tea with his disgusting Tofu substitute at nine. Then, there was Cyborg blowing up the brand new dishwasher Raven had bought (mainly to save them all from the grief that came with the blue goo) at eleven, quickly followed by Starfire disrupting her meditation with her continuing sneezing at one. And now, it was Wonder Boy prowling around her room at two.
It couldn't get any worse.
"Well," Robin started, hesitant. "You know how the City wants to hold that Ball in our honor tomorrow, and that Cy and BB can't make it-"
"More like, didn't want to go in the first place" Raven supplied dryly.
Giving her a his I'm-the-leader-so-let-me-talk kind of look, Robin continued, "In any case, they aren't coming and now that Star's come down with that, that, sickness of hers, I really need you to come with me"
Ok, so maybe Raven was wrong. Her day could get worse.
"No" She said flatly, backing into her room. "I do not do city functions. I refuse"
"Please Raven?" Grabbing her wrist, Robin pleaded up at her. Bruce would never let it rest if he heard that the mighty leader of the Teen Titans couldn't even persuade at least one of his team members to go to a dance dedicated to them. "The mayor's been such a jerk lately, that if we don't go, he'll manage to work it into his campaign about how we're a bunch of ungrateful kids who need to be shipped off to some distant boarding school"
Wondering way she was glaring at him in a violent way, Robin looked down at his hand, realized what he was doing, and let go.
"Sorry Rae"
Rule number one when dealing with your slightly homicidal teammate: Never, ever, touch her.
Raven eyebrow twitched, but she kept silent. She did not want to have to explain why Robin's blood was all over her cloak.
Deciding that he was desperate, Robin tried one last time, "Please Raven? It'll only be for a few hours, I promise. We wouldn't even have to do anything but stand there and smile"
Her eyebrow twitched again at the thought of all the pleasantries she'd have to go through, but before she could come up with a brutal reason on why she wouldn't go with the Boy Wonder, there was a gigantic sneeze from down the hallway.
"I am most sorry my friends!" Came Starfire's muffled voice. "I did not mean to ruin your game!"
"Oh man!" Cyborg cried, while Raven was sure she could hear the faint wails of Beast Boy. "Star, you just slimed the Game Station!"
Robin looked back at her, making a silent plea. Please Raven, He swore. If you do this I swear you'll be off the chore list for a month.
"Make it two months, and you've got a deal" And to his surprise, Raven's mouth quirked up into a smirk.
Robin sighed, relieved. "Deal"
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Raven looked down at the stiff, printed card Robin had given her. "I have to do what?"
"It's Black Tie," Her leader clarified, pressing buttons on the stereo, trying to find the song that Cyborg had suggested. "You have to wear a dress, I have to wear a suit; it's an excuse for the Mayor to see if were really human or not"
The Goth rolled her eyes, then frowned. "In case you didn't notice, I'm not the kind of girl who happens to have a spare cocktail dress lying around"
Robin smirked. This was about as close as anyone was going to get hearing Raven complain about having nothing to wear. "Don't worry about it" He breezed, still fiddling with the stereo. What number was it again? 20? 23? "I kind of figured something like this might happen, so I called in a few favors and got that store Star likes to give you a private spree" Ah, that was it. 25.
Paling, Raven replayed what Robin had just said. Starfire's favorite store? The girl hardly wore anything, so did this mean she was going to be shopping at Victoria's Secret? Suddenly having the unpleasant vision of an unflattering photo of her in a g-string and bra pasted all over Jump Weekly, Raven clutched at her head.
"-and once you're done, we can go home and relax for the rest of the day"
Raven blinked. "I didn't hear you; what was that?"
Pressing the 'play' button, the Boy Wonder just faced her and smiled. "Shopping. You. Me. Tomorrow morning"
"How pleasant"
Robin ignored her sarcastic remark and stepped closer, placing a arm around her waist. "You ready?" He asked.
His dark friend nodded, cursing her habit of pulling her hood down when inside. At least here, in the dim basement, Robin couldn't see her blushing.
Hearing the lyrics as the song started, Raven forgot about her embarrassment and looked at Robin with an arched eyebrow. "'Heaven is a place on Earth'?"
Muttering about how he was going to give Cyborg BB duty (code for making sure the green thing had a bath) for a year, Robin slowly went about the steps.
"You've got to place your hand on my shoulder, Raven. Not keep it by your side" The Goth gave him a deadly glare, but did as she was instructed, also taking the hand that wasn't wrapped around her.
'When the night falls down,
I wait for you,
And you come around...'
He smiled down at her, warm, and Raven felt herself start to blush once again. "Ok, that's the hard part. All we have to do now is waltz around and spin every few times and we should be fine"
'...And the world's alive,
With the sound of kids
On the street outside...'
We. For some reason, she liked how he said that. They kept dancing, neither of them saying a thing, but slowly moving to the beat.
'...When you walk into the room,
You pull me close and we start to move.
And we're spinning with the stars above,
And you lift me up in a wave of love...'
"So..." Robin trailed off and looked down at his friend, almost laughing at the expression of concentration on her face. He didn't know she wanted to learn how to dance this much.
Raven frowned, trying not to let her powers explode everything under the Tower roof. Dancing with Robin shouldn't be affecting her this much, should it?
'...Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth?
Ooh heaven is a place on earth.
They say in heaven love comes first.
We'll make heaven a place on earth.
Ooh heaven is a place on earth...'
There went that bloody smile of his. "Because, we're going to have to dance. No doubt the media will want a photo opportunity"
That thought had never crossed her mind.
The media? With cameras? Oh god, what would Starfire think?
'...When I feel alone,
I reach for you,
And you bring me home.
When I'm lost at sea,
I hear your voice,
And it carries me...'
Robin was just about to ask if Raven wanted to change the song when she pulled away from him.
"Raven?" He asked, surprised. He'd be the first to admit that dancing with the team's resident witch was the last thing anyone ever expected him to do, but the only reason he was going to suggest they change the song was because he was feeling way too comfortable for his liking. Way too comfortable. "Raven, is there something wrong?"
Looking at him impassively, she just said in a collected tone, "I think I've had enough. I'll be in my room if you need me"
'...In this world we're just beginning
To understand the miracle of living.
Baby I was afraid before,
But I'm not afraid anymore...'
Throwing the stereo a dirty look, Raven narrowed her eyes, and soon enough it exploded, her power crackling around it. "I didn't like the song" She muttered.
Then turning, she fled.
Robin stood there, staring at the charred remains of what had once been apart of Cyborg's prized collection. While on one level he was trying to think of a suitable excuse to give to his half human friend, on another, he was trying to figure out what the hell had just gone on.
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Sifting through the racks at Pretty Woman while Robin waited outside the next morning, the headache Raven had had since last night grew.
Starfire had hunted her down last night, making sure that she got the full run down on what she expected would be proper 'conductment'.
"I understand that this-AHCOO!" Starfire had sneezed, spraying Edgar Allan Poe's best collective works. "I am most sorry for ruining your book of decidedly depressing poetry, friend Raven-but as I said, I understand that this is just a mission that you and Robin must perform for the reputation and up standing of the-AHCOO!" She smiled sheepishly. "I sincerely apologize for upsetting your hair, friend Raven- the up-standing of the team, but all I ask that you keep within the boundaries of friendship, and do not touch him in any way"
Okay, so now she had Starfire's reigning jealously to watch out for. Peachy. Everything was absolutely peachy.
Simple solution to that, She thought to herself as she leafed through an untold amount of cheap, ugly material. Just don't touch him.
That could be easily achieved.
But as the Goth sorted through more dresses than she had ever seen, she wondered if it'd be as simple as she was telling herself.
Raven frowned and started to move the cheap imitations of clothing with her power. Of course the no-touching-Robin-or-you-die-rule would be smoothly followed. Why she was having second doubts was beyond her.
Something... pink caught her eye, and before she could stop herself, Raven was pulling it out of the rack.
It was definitely pink, there was no denying that. But it was a soft, champagne pastel that was far removed from the bright bubble gums Starfire loved. It was long, and fell to the floor shimmering, no frills, no bows.
Raven smiled grimly, letting the silky cloth flow slide over her fingers. Not quite her colour, not quite her style, But...
It was perfect.
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Robin tensed as he stepped out of his room and into the hallway. Pulling at his collar, he made his way down to the lounge, hoping that nothing would go wrong tonight and that the Major wouldn't order them to disband.
Of course, he was hoping other things too, but he decided to ignore them.
Starfire gave a squeal when he stepped up to the couch, clapping her hands despite the amount of tissues she was holding. "Oh Robin!" She cried, going starry eyed. "You are most handsome tonight!" Then the pretty alien princess looked down, sighing. "I am indeed apologetic that I was unable to attended the Dance of Gratitude with you"
Robin smiled, forgetting about the earlier troubles with Raven. "Don't worry about it Star, it probably won't be that much fun anyway. Where's BB and Cy?"
Brightening, Starfire chirped, "Our friends have gone to the building of rental devices, to obtain something of entertainment"
The Boy Wonder blinked, realizing that this wasn't the same thing he had been told, but decided to deal with the pair when he returned. Instead, he grinned down at Starfire lopsidedly, and said, "Well, tell them we need to talk when I get back, ok?"
She grinned back at him about to say more, when her eyes slid to someone behind him and her mouth dropped. "Fr-friend Raven!" She stammered.
Robin looked to where Starfire's eyes had fallen and felt his own widen.
Standing by the doors, uncertain, was a glittering, delicate version of his teammate. "Raven" He said simply, admiring her dress.
The Gothic nodded coolly, then holding out her hand she asked, "Are we going? We don't want to be late"
Barely even noticing Starfire's growling, Robin stepped up to her and took the offered hand. "Of course"
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"I can't believe the Mayor introduced us as the 'pair of the century'" Raven fumed, barely keeping a leash on her powers.
Robin just looked at her, amused. The two teens were standing by the fountain outside of the City Hall, trying to escape the media and the Mayor. "It could have been worse" The Boy Wonder pointed out, sitting down on the ledge. "He could have taken the fact that the others didn't show as an insult"
Raven gave him a dirty glare and retreated further into the shadows of the settings around them, eyes glowing. "I don't care" She muttered, almost sulking.
The tinkle of the music from inside leaked out into their courtyard, and figuring he might as well play the part, Robin stood up and held out his hand to the corner Raven had retreated to. "Want to dance?" He asked, the same smile that had been lurking on his mouth when they had practiced, fully open here.
Looking down at the offered hand suspiciously, Raven glanced back up at the Boy Wonder. There was something, something in the way he was smiling, something that made her heart flip and her breathing come a few breaths short.
Taking a step into the light that was pooling from the chandeliers inside, Raven stayed half drenched in shadows, uncertain.
That... smile...
Her hand came up slowly, and she almost gave in before practicality gripped her and she remembered the promise she had made to Starfire.
Robin felt his mouth drop in disappointment as Raven shifted back into her corner, the sequins on her dress glittering as she moved.
"No, thanks all the same" She ironed in her low, starchy voice. Watching him with unreadable violet eyes, Raven was about to say more when the glass doors opened and one of the older officers at the Police Station ordered gruffly, "The Mayor wants you two inside, now"
Suppressing a snort, Raven just rolled her eyes as Robin nodded respectively. "We'll be right in, Officer Peters"
Giving the pair a dirty look, the older man shuffled back inside, clicking his tongue in disapproval.
"Oh the joy, more photos" Raven muttered sarcastically, moving ahead of Robin to the door.
The Boy Wonder just smiled, making sure that his dark friend didn't see. Personally, with the way that she looked tonight, he thought that Raven should have had the cameras following her all through the party.
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"So, did you enjoy the night?" Starfire asked Robin the next morning.
He nodded, laying back into the couch. "It had its moments"
Starfire sighed, then brightened. "Robin," She began, blushing slightly. "Would you like to accompany me to the house of moving pictures?" Looking up at him with her green eyes, she added, "I dearly wish to see this immensely delightful film of the 'flicking of the baby chickens'"
It was a few moments before Robin understood what she meant. "Star," He said, laughing. "It's called a 'chick flick'. It's a movie for girls"
She sighed again, then lifted herself from the couch. "But you still would like to go, would you not?"
Looking over at where Raven was sitting at the table, reading, while Cyborg and Beast Boy did all fifty-three stacks of dishes by hand (punishment number one), Robin felt something inside click, and he glanced back at Starfire. "I'm sorry Star, I wanted to catch up with the rest of the team today. How about tomorrow?"
Crestfallen, the alien girl still smiled, going over to the hallway, which lead to their respective rooms. "I shall await for tomorrow, then" She said, before drifting down to her bedroom.
Picking himself up, Robin went over to the table, and sat down next to Raven, who only glared at him suspiciously for a few moments before going back to her book.
"So Raven... wanna play cards?"