Switched, Swapped, and Flip-Flopped
Chapter Three

)O(

"Ow." Raven cradled her hand against her chest, glaring at Robin. What was his problem? He had been swinging at her harder then normal. Even though she wasn't a complete novice, she still didn't have the skills to match him, or a yellow belt for that matter. He knew that, so why was he acting like he had a bee in his bonnet? "I thought the point of this was to teach me how to spar, not to beat the crap out of me." She looked at her knuckles, noticing slight swelling. They were going to turn blue in a few hours. "In case you for got I don't have my healing abilities any more. You have them."

"I'm sorry... I keep forgetting you're new at this." Robin pulled her hand into his and examined it, looking for any sign of injury. "They're a little bruised, but nothing major. If I hurt you, just let me know." He glanced up at her, eyes dark behind his mask. "Although sometimes I think you deserve it."

Raven rolled her eyes and snatched her hand back. "One of these days I'm going to win against you."

"I'd like to see you try." He took a step back and stared at her. "First position. Show me again."

Raven attempted to moved her body the way he wanted it, but his grunting told her she was doing it wrong. She glared at him and let her arms fall limply to her sides. "What am I doing wrong now?"

"You're leaving your feet too far apart, I can step right here and..." In a split second he had maneuvered his his body so that his left foot was wedged in between her own and he was just a breath away from her. The intensity in his stare made Raven take a half step back, and she caught her ankle against his foot. She tumbled backward with a curse, but Robin's arms wrapped around her, catching her before she fell. "See. I told you."

Raven nodded slowly, swallowing a lump that had appeared suddenly in her throat. The heat radiating from him washed over her in waves, nearly choking her. She stared up into his masked eyes, trying to remember that this was her leader and that he was untouchable. "You're right. I should be a little more careful."

"Just be more aware. Careful has nothing to do with it." Robin helped her upright and took a step back. "Again."

Any dazed feelings she had were quickly replaced with frustration and anger. Raven bit back a groan and tried to slide her body back into position, but Robin stepped forward again and hooked her ankles. She glared at him and shoved at his shoulders. "Stop that! You know I can't compare to you, stop being so hard on me."

"You asked for my help." Robin crossed his arms over his chest and watched her move through the room. She was about ten seconds away from punching him in the face, damned her bruised knuckles. He hadn't eased off of her once the whole morning and she had the marks to prove it. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "If you didn't think you could keep up with me, than why did you ask for my help?"

"I didn't!" Raven snapped her teeth at him. "You gave your help to me without my asking. And then you dragged me into the gym and started beating up on me all morning. Let me have a few minutes of rest at least!"

Robin opened his mouth to say something, but there was a knock at the door. "What!"

"Cyborg told me to tell you two to cut it out. He said one more outburst and the whole tower is going to tumble down." Aqualad. Raven felt her face color at the tranquil, even sound of his voice. Calm in the middle of the storm. Thank the goddess. Robin snarled at the closed door, but made no move to open it.

"Tough luck. I'm still working with Raven."

"Pft." Raven rolled her eyes and started for her cloak. "Like hell you are. I'm taking a break, it's almost two and I didn't even have breakfast or my tea this morning. I will come back to you in an hour, if my hand isn't broken." She moved, but Robin caught her ankles making her tumble to the floor. Raven cursed loudly. "You are a bastard do you know that? A fucking bastard."

"You are not done." He squatted down next to her, looking into her face. "Get up, we're gonna try again."

"Robin, you've been training her all morning. Give her a break."

Robin glared at the door again. "No. She has to learn stamina."

"Not like this! I'm tired you stupid asshole." Raven struggled to her feet, frowning. Her ankles felt like they were going to give out any minute. "And I'm beaten to the high heavens. Give me some time."

"Fine!" He threw up his hands in defeat. "Get lunch!"

"Thank you of gracious over-lord." Raven threw open the door to see Aqualad looking at her like a deer in headlights. She pushed past him into the hallway, growling under her breath. She heard him follow behind her, but didn't bother turning to look at him. Her anger was spiking beyond normal, and if she had her powers, the world would have been in flames right now. "Don't even say it, I don't want to hear it."

"I was actually going to ask you if you wanted me to make you lunch."

Raven felt color rise to her face again and she turned to Aqualad, he was smiling at her, looking as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Raven, however, nearly choked on his words. "L-lunch?"

"I'm not the most talented of chefs, but I know my way around a kitchen well enough." He took a few long strides up to where she had stopped. She had forgotten how tall he was and took a small step back, trying to put space between them. What was it about him that made her uncomfortable? As if all her normalcy had been ripped out from under her feet, and she was left hanging like Wile Coyote when the cliff disappeared beneath him. "I am more than happy to, if you'll let me. You deserve it after the morning you've had."

"Ah..." Raven found she couldn't look into his eyes, they were far too blue. Deep and dark like the bottom of the ocean. What was it about him? "I guess..."

"Good." He grabbed her hand and dragged her down the hall to the kitchen. Raven turned to see Robin glaring at her from the doorway, but she didn't care. Leave him to his dark, brooding ways, she was getting lunch whether he liked it or not. And then maybe later she would give him a taste of his own medicine.

"So, what prompted this?" Raven asked as Aqualad rifled through the cupboards for ingredients.

"I should ask you the same thing." His soft, knowing eyes watched her as he paused for a moment. "You aren't typically known for major emotional outbursts. Robin, however, seems to yank them right out of you." Raven could not express how true that statement actually was. Every time the two of them were together, it was like a volatile explosion erupted between them, and words became dangerous weapons.

"He has the innate ability to dig his fingertips right down into my skin and pull as hard as he can." Raven sighed and looked down at her bruising knuckles. They had swollen to twice their normal size, and she was seriously wondering if she had broken them. At least she could still move her fingers, that was kind of a good sign. "Sometimes I wonder why I even bother."

"Because he's your leader." Raven glanced over at Aqualad, who was cutting vegetables in a smooth, unhurried fashion. He looked up at her and smiled. "And he's your friend. Even though he can be a complete blockhead, sometimes being a friend trumps all high cards." He glanced down at her knuckles, his lips turning down in a frown. There was a strange shadow that crossed in front of his eyes, and he put the knife down. "Did he do that to you?"

Raven snorted and went to the freezer for an ice pack. Unfortunately all she found was a bag of frozen peas, and that would have to do. "It was mutual effort. I was trying to hit him as hard as possible and he caught my hand just the right way." She shrugged. "I'll be fine."

Aqualad shook his head and walked over to her. "Not without your healing powers." He took her hand in his, watching as she winced with the movement. He grazed her knuckles carefully, examining them. His touch was gentle and smooth, and Raven got the distinct urge to yank her hand away. His serious eyes found hers again. "Raven, I think he might have seriously hurt you."

She snorted again and pulled her hand away, putting the frozen peas back on her knuckles. "So? What else is new?" Aqualad's eyebrows knitted together and Raven suddenly saw the error in her words. Oh no. He was going to think the worst, of course. "Not like that! I mean we just fight... often... I... er..." Damnit, she had just swallowed her foot and ankle at this point. Raven sighed in defeat and shook her head. "Never mind, Aqualad, it's not important."

"I think it is..." He stared into her eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked intimidating, standing there as if he was going to scold her. "Is there something we need to talk about, Raven? Is Robin... hurting you? Is there something going on that we should know about? If he's... abusing you in any way, you should tell someone."

How did this happen? And in the course of five minutes? Raven groaned and took a step back, her waist colliding with the counter top, pinning her under his gaze. Why now? Why this? Her life was turning into an after school special, and Aqualad was going to give her a talking to about her "personal space" and how no one should be in it. Raven ran her good hand over her face. This was ridiculous. "That's not it, Aqualad, I swear."

"You're acting like it is." He raised an eyebrow and stared at her. The severity in his eyes made Raven wonder who exactly was in trouble, Robin or her? "What did you mean then? Clearly he went extra hard on you during training, otherwise you would not have been injured. Raven..."

"I just..." She threw up her good hand and sighed. "You're not going to let it go until I answer, are you?"

"No."

Raven rolled her eyes and leaned against the counter behind her, staring at him. "Fine. You're just like a mother hen. Jeez." Her gaze fell to her feet before she looked up at him again. "The truth is... that I... may potentially have unrequited feelings for my leader." The admission made her stomach twist and Raven wondered if she would throw up under the sensation. "There. Are you quite happy?"

"Oh." Aqualad blinked at her, his expression of concern and anger melting into shock. "Do you..." His words trailed off, but he didn't have to finish the sentence to have Raven understand him. He was asking a very personal and poignant question, and Raven wasn't sure if she wanted to face the answer just yet.

"I don't know." Raven shrugged and turned away, feigning nonchalance. "I haven't decided that yet."

Aqualad opened his mouth to say something, but Raven's glare shut him up. She knew exactly what he was going to say, and quite frankly, she did not want to hear it. She sighed and turned away from him. "Thanks for offering lunch, Aqualad, but I think I need some time by myself."

"Raven." The softness in his voice made her turn back around. She met his eyes and was unable to keep a deep blush from crawling up her neck. He motioned to the kitchen table. "At least eat. I promise no more prying questions. We're just two friends having lunch, okay?" How could she refuse him when he kept acting like an actual gentleman, which was a rarity in the tower.

"Fine." Raven plopped down at the table. "Here I am."

He smiled at her, then turned back to his vegetables. "There you are." Silence filled the space between them, and Raven fidgeted in it. She was more used to tower being noisy and busy as all her teammates occupied their free time with whatever it was that they did. Video games, romance movies, and... stankball. Having a quiet moment was kind of nice. "So, tell me exactly what happened between you and Robin?"

Raven felt the growl escape before she could stop it. "I thought we agreed on no prying questions."

Aqualad blushed a little. "That's not what I meant. I mean with Jinx. What happened during the battle?"

"Oh... um..." Raven sighed and let her head fall back, staring at the ceiling. They really needed to dust in in the corners before the dust bunnies commandeered the tower. "Well, Robin tried to save me from a rouge midget with a jet pack, and got caught in the crossfire between Jinx and I. The thought was there, the execution was somewhat left to be desired." She looked over at Aqualad, who was sauteing the vegetables, nodding and listening to her speak. "Unfortunately our two magicks don't exactly mix well and Robin has my powers. But I'm not sure for how long, if it's permanent or not, and I'm not sure how to undo the spell... or even if it can be undone." She rubbed her face again. "What a mess."

Aqualad was looking at her with concern etching his features again. "Have you told Robin this? That you're not sure what the outcome of this situation will be."

She shook her head. "Not really. I've hinted at it but... you know him, it's like talking to a brick wall sometimes. He's completely oblivious to the world around him."

"Even you?" At the statement, Raven sat upright and felt her face grow suddenly red. She stared at Aqualad, who looked a little sheepish. "I'm sorry, Raven. I know we agreed not to talk about it. I promise to keep away from that particular subject. It was inconsiderate of me to tease and I apologize."

Raven couldn't tear her eyes from him, and she felt her heart suddenly pound against her ribs. Exactly what was he doing to her? He was rearranging her world by simply being here, and on top of that had some how figured out her darkest secret within the course of a single morning. And he seemed... upset about it? Disappointed in it? Raven couldn't figure out exactly what this extra emotion was, but she wasn't sure if she liked it. She turned away from his dark stare and concentrated on the table top. "Forget about it... It's my own damn fault anyway."

"You can't help who you fall for, Raven... it's kind of like trying to reverse the pull of gravity. The only thing you can do is hope they realize how special you are." Aqualad's words made her look up. He was smiling as he plated their lunch, and moved to sit across from her at the table.

Was he insinuating... no. This was Aqualad. A prince. A Titan. And the heartthrob of women everywhere. He was just being nice.

"You don't have to sugarcoat everything for me, Aqualad. I'm a big girl and I can deal with the real world just fine." Why did he have to be such a gentleman? And why, in every level of hell, did she actually like his attention? She was normally a very personal and quiet person, and yet he managed to tear down every one of her defenses. She smiled and took the plate from his hands. "But I appreciate the sentiment."

"You're welcome." He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes and something about the sight bothered Raven. She shrugged it off and returned to her lunch, but she couldn't shake the strange nagging feeling in her stomach.

)O(

"Are you done with lunch?" Robin was covered in sweat, watching Raven and as she walked into the gym. Of course he would have used the time off to brood and beat something up. He really acted like a hormonal teenager sometimes. Raven saw the way his muscles moved slowly, as if they'd been pushed way past his normal limit. He'd been training harder than usual, which was both good and bad. On one hand, it meant that he was really upset with something, to the point of hurting himself. But on the other hand, nothing had blown up. Which meant that working out and training must have been Robin's own form of meditation. Raven was impressed.

"You didn't blow anything up."

Robin rolled his eyes. "Thanks for your vote of confidence, Rae."

"No no... this is a good thing." She reached out and touched his wrist, and he turned to face her. There was a surge of heat between them and Raven snatched her hand away. Damnit. She needed to stop getting so close to him, it was going to throw everything off balance. "It means that your mind is clear when you fight, your emotions are guarded. It's a good sign. It'll make controlling my powers that much easier."

Robin's lips twitched in something Raven wasn't sure was a grimace or a smile, he didn't look all that happy. But then again, he didn't like being reminded that he was stuck with dangerous and unstable powers. He glanced down at her hand, which Aqualad had carefully bandaged after lunch, and his expression turned into a frown. Running his fingers over the fabric, he sighed and looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry about before... I was just..."

"Upset." Raven cut him off with what she knew was a broken smile. "I know. We were both upset and tired. It wasn't necessarily us, just... the situation. I'm fine, just a little bruised."

"You shouldn't be hurt at all." Robin ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm really sorry, Raven... I know I shouldn't get angry about all of this, especially when I know there isn't anything I can do to fix it. But I just can't help being mad. I hate feeling this helpless. I hate knowing that every time I react to something emotionally, I put you and the rest of the team in danger."

"I know. You've told me this before." Raven moved and dropped her cloak onto the floor and moved into the center of the room. She felt Robin's eyes follow her movements, and there was something strange boiling in her stomach. What was wrong with her? "Come on, Boy Wonder, let's train and get this over with."

She tried to move her feet into position, but Robin frowned and shook his head. "Let's switch, Raven. You deserve a break."

"I took a break." Raven rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. Robin at least had the decency to look a little sheepish. "You've been fighting with me all morning about how I'm not working hard enough, and now you want to take a break? You really know how to push my buttons don't you?"

"It's something I excel at." He smiled and took a few steps toward her. "I spent all morning beating you up, I just think you should spend all afternoon tearing up my mind. We'll call it a fair trade. And now you can get back at me for damaging you hand."

Raven felt a smile peel across her lips. For a moment things felt normal between them, the way they had before Tokyo. When they had been best friends who tried to give and take equally, and not start wars between them. But then Raven remembered that this feeling was only temporary, and they would go back to fighting at the end of the day. "I'll be more than happy to put you through rigorous training if you want. But first, you have to shower. You smell like a barnyard."

Robin frowned. "Gee, thanks."

"At least I'm being honest."

)O(

I'm sorry this is so short! And I'm sorry for the delay in getting it to you! I feel like I've neglected this poor story for so long. So, please leave a review and let me know what you think and I'll try to stay on top of it as much as I can. Also, to anyone who doesn't know, Honeythief now has a sequel, Make Me Wanna Die so, check it out if you have the chance, and let me know what you think! I love to hear your thoughts!

With Love Always: Xaph!