Chapter 4.

Raven ignored the crap out of me for the two weeks. Every time I entered the common room, she would leave, even if she was in the middle of something she'd just warp out of there. Even though I thought it was juvenile, it wasn't really about me. If running away was how she coped, then okay. I just wish I knew what I'd done, beyond the whole dream thing. It's not like I kissed her first.

Yes, okay, I shouldn't be dreaming of her, and before you ask, it's every night. But I can't control this. I tried. They keep coming.

I tried staying awake until I fell into an exhausted sleep, hoping to skip the REM stage of sleep. That failed dramatically and only made me more tired the next day. I tried cutting down on coffee. I tried going to bed early for a good night's sleep. Nothing worked. The instant I hit REM, Raven would dance through my dreams.

My subconscious was certainly persistent.

Strangely enough though, if I tried to hold onto the particulars of a dream, like where I was or what sounds were around me, I found that I couldn't. I was perplexed.

I ran a few scans of the Tower, and went to the medical bay to run a few scans of myself, just in case someone was messing with me. All the scans were clean, which meant either no one was messing me, or whoever was couldn't be picked up by conventional means. If I wanted a more in-depth scan, I'd have to involve Cyborg or Raven.

So not going to happen.

Unless it was Raven that was messing with me, an idea I dismissed almost as soon as I thought it. Raven wouldn't do that, it wasn't like her at all.

Every time I walked into a room where Raven was, and she didn't warp out immediately, my heart gave a funny hiccup. I would follow her movements with my safely hidden eyes and knew that if I didn't turn my head her direction, no one else would know I was watching her. I wouldn't try to approach her though, that just meant she would leave faster and I really did want to talk with her.

Each morning I knock on her door and try to talk to her. Each morning the knock would be ignored. Damn it all, I just wanted to set things right, turn back the clock to before these stupid dreams started ruining my life.

I suppose the only consolation was she couldn't avoid me during alerts. She was forced to interact with me. Even though alerts are business and I wouldn't (or couldn't) talk about private stuff, it was nice to hear her voice and know that we are okay at least in some parts in our friendship. She's not one for letting the team down.

But then we'd get back to the Tower and she'd be right back to ignoring me.

Fine. Whatever. Two can play at that game, Raven, see how you like being ignored.

Wow, was I petty or what?

I sighed. Okay, so ignoring Raven wasn't the way to go but I didn't know what else to do. I leant against the wall outside my bedroom door with my head back so I could stare at the roof. I really should go and try to see Raven again before a few hours paperwork then hit the sack. These past weeks of waking up after a dream and not being able to get back to sleep was taking a toll.

"Dude, got a sec?"

Tilting my head, I saw Beast Boy walking up the corridor toward me. I was tired, it had been a long day and I was in no mood to chit chat. This better be important. "Yeah, sure," I said tiredly and pushed off the wall. "What's up?"

"Dude, I'll be blunt. Why does your smell change whenever you're around Raven lately?"

I raised my eyebrows. "My smell? What—oh."

Beast Boy frowned in thought. "It's like you're… excited…" His expression turned to one of shock. "Dude!"

I cringed.

"Dude!" Beast Boy exclaimed again.

I winced.

"Duuuuuude."

Great, we were up to the elongated 'dude'. "Beast Boy—"

Beast Boy shook his head and backed up a step. "Dude, that's so wrong."

I sighed. "Tell me about it."

"It's Raven."

"I know."

"Dude, she's, like, she's mine."

Oh, shit. "She is? Are you two dating?"

"Well, no…" He waggled a finger at me, "But I called dibs!"

"You can't call dibs on a girl."

"Can to," Beast Boy protested.

"She's not an object, Beast Boy. You can't lay claim to anyone."

"Dude, she's mine. You can't have her!"

I don't know about you, but when someone tells me I can't do something, it makes me want it more. I got angry. "You just finished telling me that you weren't dating her!"

"Dude, I've been putting down foundations! She laughs at my jokes, sometimes. She watches me play video games. She plays skank ball! She hugged me after that whole evil dragon in a book thing."

"She hugged me too!" Wow, how petty of me. See?

Beast Boy stabbed my chest with a finger and snarled, "You snatched my chance to act the hero by going off with Slade to rescue her from the underworld and now you're trying to steal my girl!"

"I wasn't snatching anything. I was trying to protect all of you! Trusting Slade of all people is the hardest thing I've ever done and I couldn't risk any of you like that!"

"She kept my damn penny!"

"She's been inside my mind!"

"Well I've been inside hers!" Beast Boy yelled.

"You broke in!"

"Why the hell would she want you over a stud like me?" Beast Boy complained. I was so angry I was ready to punch him. And then I heard what he was really saying. It wasn't about me liking Raven. It was that Beast Boy thought I was competition he couldn't compete with. He's always had issues about not being good enough, we're all aware where that stems from.

I forced myself to calm down. I ran a hand through my hair, put one hand on my hip and sighed. "Beast Boy, look, this is something I can't control. It's a stupid, hormonal crush. I didn't mean for it to happen. Nor am I chasing after Raven, I'm fighting this tooth and nail."

Beast Boy looked taken aback. "Why?"

"Because it's Raven."

"What, she's not good enough for you?"

I scowled at him. "Stop twisting my words."

"I can't believe you'd betray Starfire like this."

I frowned. "I'm not betraying Starfire. Why would you say that?"

"You have a hot alien chick, why do you have to go after Raven too?"

"I'm not going after Raven!" I snapped. "She's not interested in me like that!"

More surprise from Beast Boy. "She not?"

"No!"

"Oh."

"God, Beast Boy! I have a crush. It's on Raven. I'll get over it. I'm not trying to steal her away, and really, don't you think it's her decision who she dates?"

Beast Boy's ears drooped and he looked like a dog that had been scolded. "Yeah, I know. Sorry," he finished more as an afterthought.

"It's cool." I stuck out a thumb toward my door. "Look, I was—"

"Robin? Robin! I have wonderful news!"

I turned and watched Starfire fly through the corridor toward me. "What's that?" I asked.

She reached us and grabbed my arm excitedly. "Red Star has asked me on the date tonight and I have accepted. You must help me prepare!"

"Red Star?" Beast Boy asked, looking from Starfire to me and back again.

Starfire bounced up and down in the air as she clutched my arm. "Yes," she said. "Red Star has been speaking to the French Government about their nuclear testing and he asked me to attend one the conferences in Paris to assist in the translation."

"Ahh, Star, that's not really a date," I said, trying not to be annoyed as my arm was jerked up and down. It was nice to see Starfire excited, but my arm hurt.

She scoffed at me and waved her free hand. "Oh, I know that. But he said he would take me out to dinner afterward to thank me for my help and I asked him if it was a date and he looked embarrassed and said yes, if I was not opposed to the idea. It was really very cute! Robin, you must help me prepare."

"And, you like Red Star?" Beast Boy asked. "Like, like like Red Star?"

Starfire nodded. "He is a very dear friend and I enjoy my time with him. He is quite the gentleman and I would enjoy experiencing the date with him." She tilted her head at Beast Boy. "Why?"

Beast Boy looked between Starfire and me again. "I thought— ah… never mind."

Starfire tugged my hand impatiently. "Please, Robin?"

"Yeah, okay," I said, smiling at her eagerness. "Why haven't you asked Raven? I thought the two of you liked doing that kind of thing together."

"I tried," Starfire told me. "But she said she was busy."

"And, dude, you're like okay with this?" Beast Boy asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked Beast Boy. "Star and I aren't dating."

Starfire's feet hit the ground as she looked at Beast Boy mournfully. "Not you as well."

Beast Boy looked lost for words, but he recovered surprisingly quickly. "'Course not, Star," he said and then grinned. "Make sure you paint Robin's toes and fingers, that way you can match colours with whatever you wear better."

Starfire beamed. "What a splendid idea!" she exclaimed and dragged me off while I glowered over my shoulder at Beast Boy.

He gave me a two finger salute and walked away laughing; no doubt to go and tell Cyborg that Robin had painted nails underneath his gloves and boots. Great. Just great.

A/N Please note, Dreams is currently finished on my hard drive. You won't get all at once, but occassionally you might get a double posting.