Chapter 9: Home

"You're leaving? But you said-"

"I know what I said. I've changed my mind. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise. I just wish that you could stay here longer, I promised to take you to the library down at-"

"It's fine, Garth. Don't act like I'm never going to see you again. I'll come back to visit, maybe at the end of the week."

"Alright. But what exactly made you change your mind?"

"I don't know," she lied. "Perhaps it was because I was having withdrawals from Starfire's optimism."

"A lack of Starfire is definitely a bad thing," he joked, earning a slight chuckle from her. "Her absence must have a devastating impact on you."

"You should see what it does to Robin."


"Friend Raven! You have returned!" Starfire screamed, thrusting the empath into her trademark bone-crushing hug.

"Star, what did we say about hugging?" Raven said as she was released from the alien's grasp.

"Hey Rave, good to have you back," Cyborg said, smiling at his sisterly friend.

"It's good to be back," she replied. "I need to unpack."

"Sure, let me help you with your bags," Robin said, picking up one of her suitcases.

"I will also assist you," Starfire said with a smile, picking up the rest.

"I would offer but it seems the two love-birds have got it. We'll catch up later?" Cyborg said, chuckling as Robin rolled his eyes.

"Sure," she replied, watching him leave the common room.

"Oh, Raven, it has been different without you here! We have not heard any of the sarcastic remarks since you departed," Starfire said as the trio made their way to Raven's bedroom. "Oh! You have not yet spoken to friend Terra and Beast Boy! Would you wish to speak to them while we unpack your belongings?"

"No," Raven replied, wincing at the mention of her. "You won't know where to put everything. Thanks for the help, but I can take care of the rest."

"Okay," the masked leader said. "Should I inform them that you're here?"

"That would be great, thank you."


"She's here? In the tower?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't bother her, though. She needs to unpack and I think she said something about needing to meditate," Robin said, exiting the room and leaving the couple alone.

Terra just grunted. "I thought she would've been gone a little longer."

"What's your problem with her?" Beast Boy asked, glaring at his girlfriend.

"She's a threat," Terra replied, rolling her eyes.

"Coming from the person who was working for Slade?"

"You agreed not to mention that ever again!" she cried.

"I don't remember shaking on it. How is she a threat?" Beast Boy asked, crossing his arms.

"She's a threat to our relationship!"

"How? She hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Oh, she's done plenty. And if you don't-"

Both Titans shrieked when the crime alert blasted through the tower.

"Trouble!"


After Doctor Light was once again in jail, the Titans made their way home in the T-car.

"You were awesome today, Rae," Cyborg said.

"Yeah, great job," said Robin with a smile.

"I agree that you were outstanding in battle!" Starfire said, smiling at her bestfriend.

"Did you see his face when you did that illusion thingy?" Beast Boy said, laughing uncontrollably. "Priceless!"

Terra stayed quiet. She wasn't going to praise the empath for something that could easily easily be done. Light was an amateur; taking him down was no achievement.

"Thanks. But it couldn't have been done without your help," Raven said. "You should all be praising yourselves."

"What you did was impressive, but it could've been better. If you had more control over your powers then the attack would've been more effective," Terra said with a smirk.

Raven could've sworn that her heart stopped beating. Beast Boy noticed her hurt expression and glared at his girlfriend. Terra just shrugged and smiled.


She sat on the edge of the roof on the tower, thinking. She would usually sit in her room to ponder, but she wanted to stay as far away as possible from her. There was also something about the night air that made her feel safe and secure.

"Hey."

"Hello."

"You come here to think too?"

"Sometimes. I usually meditate here mostly."

"Whatcha thinking about?" Beast Boy asked, taking a seat next to the empath.

"Nothing important," Raven replied. "Did Robin say something about a party?"

"Yeah! It's in two weeks in Gotham City. Bruce Wayne is hosting; isn't that awesome?"

"I guess," she replied, turning her attention from the ocean to the starlit sky. "I don't think I want to go."

"Aw, come on! Why not?"

"Well, for starters, there'll be too many people there. The more people I'm around, the more emotions I feel from them," she said. "Secondly, I don't know how to dance."

"You're kidding."

"What?"

"You don't wanna go because you can't dance? That's dumb, even for me," said Beast Boy. He stood up and reached out his hand to her.

"What?"

He grunted. "Let me teach you."

"Teach me what?"

He rolled his eyes. "How to dance."

"Are you sure this-"

"Just take my hand, Raven!"

"You're lucky you're still breathing." She scowled at him before taking his hand, allowing him to pull her up.

"Okay, first things first; you gotta be smooth," he said, swiftly wrapping his arm around her lower back. "Stop tensing up."

"Sorry."

"It's all good. Now, put your arms around my neck."

She hesitated before doing so.

"Good. Now sway," he said.

"Sway?"

"Yeah. As if there was music playing right now. Sway to it."

"How am I supposed to sway to music that isn't playing?" she asked.

"You're making this harder than it needs to be," he said, giving her a playful smile. "I'll start, and you move in rhythm with me, got it?"

"Got it."

He began to move slowly and smoothly as she mimicked his actions.

"Am I doing it right?" she asked, slight worry in her voice.

"Yeah, you're doing great," he replied. "I'm going to twirl you."

"You're not going to twirl me."

He playfully rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, no twirling just yet."

"When did you learn to dance?" she asked.

"I taught myself, actually," he replied with a smirk.

"Oh, did you? Is that why you have two left feet?" she asked with a smirk of her own.

He chuckled. "Now, is that any way to speak to your dance instructor?"

She laughed. Raven laughed. And it was one of the most beautiful things he had heard in his life. He felt his cheeks burn as he laughed along with her. He wanted to live in this moment forever, with her in his arms, both of them laughing until sunrise.

She took deep breaths to calm herself, and eventually her laughing reduced to small giggling. Something that Beast Boy found absolutely adorable.

He stared at her in awe after realising that he managed to get Raven to laugh without even trying.

"I like it when you're yourself."

"What?" he asked, his eyes still looking into hers.

"When you're not forcing jokes on me."

"What makes you think-"

"Garfield, you don't have to lie to me," she said, deep concern in her voice. "I'm an empath, so that's pretty much pointless anyway. I know you're not as serene as you make others think you are. I know things have never been easy for you, and that you're constantly struggling against your inner demons. I know that you're petrified that one day, you'll snap and you'll take it out on the ones you love most. That one day everything that you've been fighting against is released."

"How, how do you know all this?"

"It's exactly what I'm going through."

He stared at her in shock. He knew that one day, his mask would fall off. But he didn't expect it to be ripped off by her.

"I don't know what to say," he said, still swaying with her to the imaginary music.

"Then don't say anything," she replied, but not rudely. "Just tell me the next step."

"Step?"

"We're dancing, remember?"

"Oh! Right," he said, laughing nervously. "Okay, so, I'm gonna take a step forward, and then you take a step back. Alright?"

"Okay," she said, taking a step back as he took one forward. "What's next?"

"We just keep repeating it," he replied.

"For how long?" she asked,

"Until the song ends."

"Are you sure we're doing this right? And you're fully aware that there is no music playing, right?"

"You worry too much, Rae. And yeah, I presume you wanna slow dance with someone and this is one of the ways to do it," he replied, repeating the routine.

"What makes you think that?"

"I'm wrong?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Well, there you go. I'm teaching you how to slow dance as that's what you will do at the party."

"Are you going to slow dance with someone, too?" she asked.

He scrunched his face up and looked away. "Yeah."

"Who?" she asked without thinking.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked back.

"I don't, I just-"

"Nobody in particular," he said, cutting her off. "I could be slow dancing with Cyborg for all I know."

"Particular? Presume? When did your vocabulary expand so much?"

"My what?"

"Nevermind."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Before you left, I told you that I cared about Terra more than anyone, including you. I didn't mean that."

"Don't apologise. I know it's the truth so-"

"It's not."

"Yes, it is. Why are you dating her if you don't value her above the others?" she asked.

"How do you know about that?"

"Starfire told me," she replied. "You don't have to lie to me. I won't get upset this time."

"Raven, you don't understand. The entire time you were gone-"

"She's just better than me in every way! She's prettier, she has more control over her powers than I do, she's friendlier, she's perf-"

She was cut off when he grabbed either side of her cheeks with his hands and slammed his lips into hers. He snaked his arms around her waist as she kissed back, melting into his touch.

It was his first kiss.

It was her first kiss.

And it felt absolutely wonderful.


This chapter was SO HARD TO WRITE. I think it seems a little bit rushed, you know? Well anyway, please review, I love reading feedback! Don't hesitate to criticise; I know I need to work on a lot of things.

FMF