A/N: Thanx guys. Enjoy!
call me a safe bet (i'm betting i'm not)
They have been home for a week and she still can't bear to look at him. He may be able to hide from everyone else, but she can read him easily. The kiss they shared is written all over him.
She won't think of it, even if that is all she can think about. She doesn't know who she is trying to deny either: him, herself, or the elders who warned her of this.
When she forged this bond with him, she was thinking about what would happen if she failed. Succeeding, however, seems to have cost them both more.
. . . . .
He's tired of her ignoring him. Nearly every time she sees him approaching, she finds some excuse to leave. It's aggravating; it's not like he's going to jump her!
What he doesn't understand is yes, okay, so he kissed her. But she kissed him back. She could have fought him or said no, and he would have backed off – but she didn't. It's not his fault her emotions got out of control and some of Batman's priceless art finds were destroyed. All she had to do was stop kissing him.
It's not like he's going to rape her or something.
. . . . .
In a coffeehouse in downtown Jump City, a couple is arguing in a corner. She is ice, cold and unmoving; he is fire, all brimstone and ashes.
"You can't keep running from this," he hisses.
She calmly sips her tea. "I'm not running. I'm saying we can't do this."
"Why not?" he snaps.
"We will break ourselves," she says firmly. "Everyone knows it."
He stands suddenly. "Who does? We'll never know until we try."
She looks up at him. "Rob-"
But before she can finish, he leans over and kisses her, pushing her backwards.
Her mug shatters beneath her fingers.
. . . . .
It was only when she fell into his arms after being bodily thrown out of a window that he saw a very real danger to their bond. The moment she touched him he was attacked by a pain so fierce, he almost fainted on site.
Now they're both lying in the infirmary, her unconscious and him fighting off the searing pain in his skull. But as her condition betters, his headache lessens until it's to the point where he can think again; and his thoughts are disturbing him. He's wondering if, had the fall killed her, he would've died too.
. . . . .
At the park, children are laughing, parents are chatting, the sun is shining, and they are relaxing. For a brief moment of time they can exchange emotions without fear of what they may expose. Both are at peace, so peace is all they share.
She hears him chuckle and turns her head to see. He's smiling without any shadow clouding his face and he seems to be easily content. After a moment, he turns his head and though she cannot see his, she knows they have locked eyes. In his gaze is a simple love, such that she cannot fear.
. . . . .
"You know," he says one afternoon when they're alone, "you kissed me first."
He's still struggling to understand how they got to this twisted point.
She rolls her eyes, hating his tenacity. "We've been through this already. It wasn't supposed to mean anything."
But it did. It did to them both. "Fine. Then why did you kiss me back?"
She's silent for a long time, and he can feel her shifting through her thoughts, trying to find the proper answer. "Because I had to," is what she settles on.
But he knows what she really meant: that she wanted to.
. . . . .
She dreams about him. In some dreams they are friends, chatting or playing alone or with the others. He smiles and laughs often, and she is free to express herself. They play in the sun; and when she wakes up, she knows it will be a beautiful day.
Then there are the others, the ones with heat and chaos, and where her heartbeat is a mantra of more, more, more and need fills her. She's never sure if they are expressing love, fear, or hate, but it is never gentle, never kind; and when she wakes, she feels like crying.
. . . . .
He is beautiful: half-naked, with skin glistening from sweat and glowing from the light, his breaths making his chest swell, and his hair so dark it almost looks blue. He radiates focus and strength; her own personal hero.
Without her consent, her feet lead her to him, and she regains control within an arm's length of him. When she calls his name, her voice nearly trembles.
He turns and looks her in the eye. He seems to catch his breath and she wonders who he sees right now.
"Don't," he croaks out; but it's too late. She can't stop herself.
. . . . .
The damage to the gym is extensive enough that he has to reason with an insurance company in order to fix it. Between calls, he tries to grasp what happened. He can't understand where all this destruction came from. Yes, Raven's emotions can overwhelm her, but never this much.
He's developing a theory; a theory what would explain a lot. He's suspecting that it's all this bond's fault. He knows that when he's happy, she grows happy too. Could it be that when he's turned on, she's aroused too – to the point where she is unable to control it anymore?
. . . . .
While the five of them are watching a movie, he decides to test out his theory. Sitting strategically next to her, he waits until they're all too occupied with the movie to notice his movements. He slips an arm around her shoulder, feels her jump of surprise, then leans over and kisses her on the cheek, sending all his affection for her to her.
The result is instantaneous: she flushes and the television screen cracks straight down the middle.
Amidst the cries of concern and irritation, he simply nods, face blank, and says, "Well, I guess that's that;" and leaves.
- To Be Continued -
