Honeythief
Chapter Ten

)O(

Robin tapped his fingers against the oversized, mahogany desk, feeling antsy and uncomfortable. He stared at the paper in front of him, trying to pick out familiar names written in neat, even hand writing around table numbers. He could focus, so nothing seemed to make sense, and it just irritated him more. He'd spent two days away from Raven, sensing he needed to let her alone for a while. However, he quickly discovered that two days was a long time to be away from her, and now he was beginning to feel the effects. He felt stressed and irritable, and every time something was said to him, he snapped back at the speaker. Raven, he realized, had more of an impact on him than he wanted to admit. All in all, he really missed being around her. Even if she drove him crazy.

Robin spun his pen between his fingers and thought. This whole mess had been his fault, he knew that and Raven knew that. As much as she tried to stop him from blaming himself, he knew the truth. If Robin hadn't chased after Jinx, this wouldn't have happened. If he hadn't asked Raven for help. If he hadn't insisted on staying away from the other Titans. If he hadn't insisted on chasing after Beatrice's clan. If he hadn't made such stupid decisions those few nights ago. IF. Everything was an "if", and it always seemed to circle back to him.

He couldn't stop thinking about two nights ago, when her patience with him had finally broken. He'd been upset then, but Raven had been mad. Plain old, flat-out M-A-D. There was no other way to explain how she reacted. It was like something in her snapped at all the self-control she worked so hard to obtain, had vanished. Robin didn't mean to push her over the edge, he had just felt indignant and upset that she regarded him as an annoyance, like a thorn in her side. But he overacted, and pushed her away because she'd made him angry. And now she wasn't speaking with him, and Robin couldn't blame her. He was barely on speaking terms with himself.

"Master Grayson?" Alfred looked up from the stack of response cards in front of him. There was a long pause as he looked over the rim of his reading glasses at Robin, his expression inquisitive. He let the greeting hang in the air as Robin fidgeted for a moment. Alfred raised an eyebrow. "Is there something we need to talk about?"

Robin's pen paused above the guest list, staring at Commissioner Gordon's name like it was a strange word. "Maybe… I don't know." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Do you think Raven will ever talk to me again? Is she going to gnaw my head off every time we see each other? I know I upset her, I know I overreacted, but… I'm just upset. But I'm more upset that I made her mad than what she said…" Robin sighed and put his pen down. "What is wrong with me?"

"Richard… Raven is your best friend?"

"I… I guess…" Robin chewed on his lower lip, but didn't look up into Alfred's face, who he knew was staring at him with "that expression". He sighed and leaned back into his chair. "Okay, fine. She is my closest friend."

"And do you expect friends to never fight?" Alfred continued finalizing the seating list, his calm, even voice bringing sense to Robin. He thought about it for another second, was that all it was? Just a fight between friends? Or had it transformed into something bigger?

Robin rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the ache. "No, I guess I don't."

"Mm…" Alfred said nothing more, and the room turned to thoughtful silence again. Robin pondered exactly what Alfred was implying. He never expected Raven and him to have a completely smooth and happy friendship all the time… did he? He wasn't sure even what kind of relationship was between them anymore. After the debacle from a few days ago… Robin sighed and returned to the tower of paper in front of him, pushing the thought from his mind. Another hour passed as Alfred and Robin wrote down names and seating preferences. Robin was beginning to feel as if his brain was about to bleed out of his nose. Robin pulled down one more response card and looked at it:

To: The Titans West

How Many will be Attending? Five

Any Special Requests? THIS FREAKIN ROX!

The messy, childish scrawl was peppered across the elegant paper like litter in a pristine field. Robin felt his eyebrow twitch and he turned to Alfred. "I wasn't aware we were invited."

Alfred looked over his reading glasses at him. "You weren't?" It was more of a statement than anything else, and the sound of it made Robin feel his anger rise into his chest. What had Beast Boy done? Furthermore, why hadn't he told anyone about it? Alfred continued in his usual collected manner. "I received the card just days after sending it. Master Bruce and I assumed that because Beast Boy was finally eighteen it would be fine to invite the whole team this year… I thought you knew about the response." Sigh. "I suppose I should have known something was fishy then, seeing as you've never accepted the invitation before, and you've never sent the response so promptly."

"No…" Robin tried hard not to jump down his throat, he knew Alfred was secretly thrilled to have him there. He'd been trying to rope Robin into these ridiculous parties for years without any luck. He finally got his wish, and all because Beast Boy decided to go get the mail one day. Robin let a low growl slip through his teeth. "I did not know."

"Mmm, here." Alfred pulled out his seating arrangement and circled a table near the dance floor. "I have you sharing a table with a few of the members from Titans East, obviously Mas y Menos are just too young to come."

Robin frowned. Sure enough he was wedged in between Cyborg and Raven. He sighed and handed the seating chart back to his friend. "I see. If you don't mind, Al. I need to find a telephone quickly." Robin stood up and walked out of the study, trying to forget the smug expression on his face. Alfred had won, this time. Robin stepped out of the hall his throat tight with the effort of keeping from screaming. He started down the hall, towards Raven's room, in the hopes that she had forgiven him enough to let him vent. He needed to vent.

"Raven!" Robin didn't even bother to knock. He found the handle unlocked and he threw open the door to her room, letting his frustration fuel his actions. He had come to let off some steam, but he hadn't been prepared for what greeted him when he entered. Raven stood in front of the huge angled mirror next to the massive closet, dressed in a long, red satin dress that swung invitingly around her trim ankles. She stopped moving and blinked a few times.

"Don't you knock? Jeez."

"I'm sorry… I just…" Robin's words faded off as he watched her turn and move and smooth the dress down, wallowing in her image as if she enjoyed being a girl. Robin hadn't known Raven to be interested in anything girly in his entire life. She shunned everything that wasn't blue, gothic, and weird. He hadn't seen her in a skirt ever, let alone anything that was "dry clean only". The most feminine thing she owned was a pair of black ballet flats that Starfire had given her for Christmas one year. What would have changed all that now? It took a few minutes before he could speak again. "What are you doing?"

"Pretending I don't look horrible in everything." She growled as a strap slid off her shoulder. "Alfred is making me try on dresses for tomorrow." She gave a deep sigh as she turned around and checked out her backside. She frowned and stomped away from the mirror, as if the image upset her. Robin wasn't sure what she was frowning about, her backside looked beautiful to him. "He threatened to make me dance unless I did what he asked… the thought was enough to make me sick."

The reminder of the eminent party brought him back to why he had walked in on her in the first place. He leaned against one of the posts on her elegant bed. "Speaking of which."

Raven cocked an eyebrow as she fiddled with the hidden zipper, it seemed to be caught. "Speaking of which…?"

"I thought you might find this interesting… Did you know we RSVPed?"

Raven's fingers stopped searching for the zipper. Her shocked gaze met his own, and Robin could feel her anger start to thread through the room. Good, she was just as mad as he was, at least he would have her on his side now. She took a long, deep breath before she spoke. "I'm sorry? We? As in… the team?"

"Oh, yes. Apparently the Titans West were the first to send back their response card… in Beast Boy's handwriting." Robin fell back onto the bed, a long sigh escaped. The sweet, familiar scent of lavender and plums rose up into his senses, and for a moment he calmed. "Just thought you should know."

"Do…" Raven turned to face him, her eyes mixed with all different kinds of emotions. She settled on concern and frustration. "Do you think…?"

"Yes." Robin pulled a pillow over his face and groaned as if in pain. This stupid escape from Jump City had turned into something much worse. All he had been trying to do was get away from the Titans and recoup, now they were coming to him in the middle of his only sanctuary. "Yes I do. I think we are going to be stuck at a table with the Titans West and the Titans East and we have to pretend everything is okay. That I'm just on a vacation from crime fighting and this stupid party is hunkey-dorey with me… and I haven't fed in three days and I'm getting cranky."

Raven rolled her eyes. "I can tell. Well, you're just going to have to suck it up, vampire boy."

"Don't call me that."

"Look, Robin…" She stopped her lecture and grumbled under her breath. "Could you help me with this stupid thing? I can't get it and it's starting to annoy the crap out of me." She raised her arm and Robin reached out and tugged on the zipper. For a brief second he caught the glimpse of something black and lacy on her rib cage before she retreated into the closet to undress. He tried to keep his mind from wandering in there with her. What was she wearing underneath all that finery?

Raven's husky voice brought his attention back to her and this crazy situation. "We're going to have to deal with people eventually, and I may not always be there for you. At least now we know I'll be there and I'll have my powers. We can count on that should anything go horribly awry."

"I know… but-"

"Think of it this way." Raven cut him off before he could finish his statement. "You've never come to this blasted thing before, and you're making Alfred happy… so shut up." Raven came out of the closet dressed in a blue number that had a slit clear up to her hip. Robin found he was more than a little curious to see what hid just beyond his view. She sighed and turned back toward the closet. "This is the fifteenth dress I've tried on and nothing looks right. I quit."

"You look good to me."

"Oh, of course. I always trust fashion judgments from a man who regards me as a meal instead of a woman."

Woman. The insult missed him by a mile, but the word struck his thoughts. Woman. When Robin thought about it, he realized that Raven was no longer the sturdy teenage girl he'd met five years ago. She grown into… what? Furthermore, exactly how old was Raven? And when had she stopped considering herself a girl? Robin knew she was younger than him… but older than Beast Boy. He also knew that she had shed her young age to be… a woman? Did he consider her a woman, or just Raven? The girl he saved the world with? Robin chewed on his lip, then stopped when he felt his fang draw blood. He was getting hungry, and it was taking more and more effort to ignore it. Especially since Raven was parading around him in those kind of dresses.

"No."

Robin started and looked towards the door. "'No' what?"

"I'm not wearing this."

"What is it?"

Raven came out dressed in the tiniest black dress Robin had ever seen, just one more inch and all her secrets would have been exposed. She tugged at the hem, but it didn't do much good. The black satin clung to her like a second skin. Robin felt color flood his face and he coughed, unable to look away from the shocking sight. "Is that… underwear?"

"I'm not sure what the heck this is, but I'm not wearing it. I look ridiculous."

"That's not the exact adjective I would have used…" He watched her shapely legs travel on forever. Until they ended in a pair of red stiletto heels that made him think evil thoughts, thoughts that had no place around a "girl" and every place around a "woman". His fangs lengthened some more, and it took all of his effort to keep from jumping forward and sinking them into her pale neck. "I kind of like it."

"You have testosterone. Of course you like it." She growled at her own reflection before she retreated into the closet. Robin watched the pleasant sway of her hips with strange, male satisfaction. The more he thought about it, the more he could see the woman in her. There might have been a shred of the strong-willed, sarcastic teen in her, but it was interwoven with the beautiful adult. The woman she was becoming. There was the familiar sound of jean fabric being pulled on, and lavender and plum filled the air. Raven appeared in her normal street clothes of jeans and a tee-shirt. "Sixteen dresses and not a single one that makes me happy. What was he thinking?"

Robin shrugged. "He was thinking 'Sixteen dresses, there has to be one in there she'll like'."

"Well, he was wrong." Raven huffed indignantly and crossed her arms over her chest. She stared at the closet door for a long moment before growling again. "I'm never going to find a dress by tomorrow, and Alfred's going to make me dance. And with Roy of all people. Bleh."

Robin felt a sudden splinter of jealousy pierce his heart. Roy? Why Alfred threatened her with him? Why not Robin? What did that silly ginger-headed vain little boy have that Robin didn't? Robin had been thought to dance by the best, and could waltz along with the pros, he was suave and mature, and knew how to be a man, so why Roy? He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "I didn't know that was a stipulation to the dress hunt."

Raven's face colored slightly, but she shrugged and turned away from the accusing stare. "Unfortunately. Alfred apparently knows how to get at my nerves. He knew that would be the last guy on my list of 'Debonair Boys I'd Like to Humiliate Myself With'."

"Oh, I see." In the heat of the room, Robin could smell the change in her emotions and he stared at her, trying to place it. It was a scent he was familiar with, had smelled it on her on several occasions, but he couldn't place his finger on it… what was she thinking? What was going on in her head? He watched her move around the room, straightening what little mess she had made… what was that scent? It was driving Robin mad.

"So? What are we going to do about tomorrow?"

The cool heaviness of the question brought him reeling back into the present. Robin saw the corners of Raven's mouth turn into a frown when he delayed giving her an answer. She rolled her eyes at him, but he just shook his head and sighed. "Well, I'm not exactly happy about the idea, but I don't think we have a whole lot of options at this point… I guess we're just going to have to suck it up. I don't have any other ideas, and I know you're tired of…"

"Running away?" Raven raised an eyebrow, but Robin frowned at the jab.

"If that's what you want to call it, yes." Robin sat on the edge of her bed. They stared at each other for a moment before he sighed again, and felt the apology spill from inside him. He had forgotten all about it until he saw the plum lightning behind her eyes, the undercurrent of anger because of him. He looked up at her and frowned. "Look, I know I haven't exactly been the best companion, Raven… I've made your life a hell of a lot harder than it needs to be. And I want you to know how much it means to me that you're here… You didn't turn away from me, and I need you a lot more than I can admit to myself, let alone you."

Color flooded her face, and Raven looked away. There was a long silence, and Robin wondered if he'd said the right thing. Had he stepped out of their carefully formed boundaries and tripped over his own tongue? She turned to the door heading toward her balcony and watched the drizzle that had collected on the greenery outsize. He swallowed hard as he watched the frown form on her lips. Oh, good God. What had he done now? All he tried to do was apologize. How did he manage to mess everything up? Even something as simple as an apology?

"Robin… I appreciate your honesty. I think I really needed to hear you say that…" Raven trailed off, her eyes still glued to the window.

Robin stood up. Somehow his heart had jumped into his throat and was beating a frantic rhythm there. For some reason, he was having trouble remembering where it was supposed to go. He walked next to her, but she didn't even turn to him. He stared at the outside with her, finishing her sentence where she let it hang. "But…?"

"But…" pause. "What will happen after all this is over? After this mess is taken care of. Or even still, what will happen if this is permanent?" Her sad eyes reached his, and Robin saw the hurt reach down into the roots of her soul. Her fear and misery ran so deep, Robin wondered how long she had felt like this, and if there was any hope of helping her. "What then? Will there still be all these beautiful, brave speeches? Or will you hate me because I couldn't fix you? Because I failed."

Her words speared him and Robin didn't hesitate gathering her small body into his arms. He couldn't stand know she felt like this for him, because of him. "Hate you? Raven, what are you talking about? How could I ever hate you? You're my best friend, and even if you can't cure me I know that you tried your best that you worked as hard as possible to save me. Knowing that is enough for me, knowing that you care that much for me that you would give up everything to keep me safe… that's enough." Robin kissed the top of her head and breathed in the sweet scent of lavender. "Believe me."

"You say such pretty things, Wonder Boy." Raven tilted her head up to his and a small smirk appeared on her lips, but there was a shimmer of unshed tears in her eyes. He hated to see her straddling happiness and fear. She deserved to be completely happy, all the time. "Just you wait until I fail you and you'll be biting my head off… literally."

"Nah. Your neck is much tastier…" He matched her smirk, then leaned down and nipped at her skin. Raven laughed and pushed at his chest, trying to put space between them.

"Stop it, that tickles!"

Robin stopped, not because he was told, but because he felt shock ripple through him. He pulled away a little and looked down at her, surprise lining his expression. He blinked a few times. "Did I hear that correctly? You're ticklish?"

Raven frowned and tried to tug herself free from his arms, but he held tight. She tugged some more before glaring at him, but his hold stayed strong, and he pulled her closer. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. Yes, Wonder Boy, I'm very ticklish… so be careful or I'll send you into another dimension for a week."

Robin chuckled. "I wouldn't put it past you." He felt the smile peel across his lips, and without any other normal, conscious thought, he leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss.

)O(

So, there it is. I hope you enjoyed it, and I think this'll probably wrap up in another… oh, five or six chapters. Maybe even less. Next stop: The grand party. Enjoy! Please review if you have a chance, and check out my latest piece to avoid finishing anything I start: Wide Awake.