#26 'A Fight' This actually came about because of a line I wanted Raven to say and then spiraled from there. :) I hope you enjoy.
Read and Review pls :)
Disclaimer: Not mine, my cages are still very empty :(
Across the counter she met his gaze without flinching, refusing to let him know how her heart was shattering behind her emotionless façade.
"Good Morning," Robin finally spoke just to break the deafening silence.
Raven just shrugged and turned away from him to continue making her tea.
"So I guess you're avoiding me," Well if he couldn't pretend that nothing was wrong, he's just get right to the point.
"No," She eyed him over her shoulder, a picture of indifference. "Currently I am ignoring you, you aren't significant enough to avoid." Robin thought he felt an actual physical impact from that barb.
Cyborg had just entered the room when Raven replied to Robin, without a word he turned around, deciding breakfast out with Beastboy and Star would be a safer and healthier option.
"I can't believe you are mad about this." Robin shook his head in exasperation.
"Do I look mad?" She turned back around to face him, tea mug in hand, her face schooled into lines of passivity.
He just glared at her, of course she didn't look mad, but she was…he knew it, hell; he could feel it buzzing down the unseen chord that connected their minds. "Raven, it was just a kiss."
"I wasn't blind then, nor am I now." She lifted a brow at him. "I saw what it was, just like every other person who watched the news last night."
"It wasn't what it looked like, you know that." Now he was pleading, desperate that she hear him.
"Apparently it was," She curved a side of her mouth into a dark smirk. "It was just a kiss." She emphasized 'just' with a sneer and concentrated on not throwing her mug at Robin's head.
"She kissed me, I didn't do anything."
"That much was obvious," She paused as if a thought had just occurred to her. "But tell me Boy Wonder…with all your legendary agility, how was it that you didn't move?"
"I moved," His brows furrowed, "It just surprised me that's all, most of the people we rescue don't attack us."
"So it's an attack now? I thought it was a kiss." Carefully she took a sip of tea, her eyes never leaving his.
"What did you want me to do?" He ground out, his frustration finally leaking into his tone, "Punch her?"
"Of course not," Raven shook her head. "You just didn't have to enjoy it quite so much."
She was jealous, he felt like someone had sucker punched him in the stomach as that realization flashed in his mind. Raven didn't do jealousy, but here she was and her words definitely seemed to have a green tinge to them. Robin felt a wave of pure masculine pride; she cared enough to be jealous.
"Why are you staring at me like I just grew a second head?" Raven asked more peevishly than she had intended.
"Raven," He sighed, clutching at straws in his mind as he tried to think about what to say to put her at ease, because now along with the anger that was pouring through their bond he felt the undercurrent of fear and he would do anything to erase that fear. "Raven, you're right. I should have done something…what, I don't know, but I should have done something besides stand there like a deer caught in the headlights."
She turned from him, forcing the image of the kiss out of her mind; forcing the fears and question it had raised down into her mind. The image, fears and questions refused to dissipate, no matter how hard she tried. "It doesn't matter." She finally replied, her voice losing its impassive tone and now she just sounded tired.
He came around the counter, he reached out and curled a hand over her shoulder; she jerked and nearly dropped the mug to the tiled floor. He cursed himself and let his hands fall to his sides; he should have realized what was really going on right away. He should never have let his own anger get in the way of seeing the pain and fear she covered with her anger.
"It matters," He said softly, yearning to touch her and soothe her, but he knew that now was the time for talking. "I'm an idiot for saying that it didn't matter, because it does." He shoved a hand through his hair, searching for the words. "I love you." It was all he could think of, nothing else seemed right.
Her back was still to him, but she seemed to flinch at his words. "Do you?" Her voice was soft, a whisper that barely carried her words to him.
"God Raven," Stunned by how quickly his world seemed to be falling apart he silently cursed the unknown girl who had caused so much damage with an unthinking gesture. "Of course I do, how can you even think that?"
Slowly she turned to him, her eyes screaming with pain, her body almost rigid with her fears; her voice was heartbreakingly solemn when she spoke. "Look around us Robin, nothing about us makes sense. I barely know what love is, maybe you don't either. Maybe everything we have is just an illusion we hang on to so desperately so our nights won't be so cold and lonely."
"No," His eyes hardened behind his mask and he reached out to grab her before she could walk away, his hands hard, but not painful on her shoulders. The mug of tea dropped unnoticed to the floor, the sound of it shattering hung in the air as Robin barely managed to keep himself from shaking the woman in front of him. "This is not an illusion," He moved quickly, kissing her harshly and leaving them both breathless. "Who ever said we had to make sense?"
"I just can't do this," Again she tried to move from him, but he held her firmly.
"Are you going to runaway Raven?" Robin's tone held a taunt in it and the effectiveness of it was clear in the way she stiffened her shoulders and glared at him. "This is about more than a stupid kiss from some girl I don't even know."
Her legendary composure began to crack under the strain that it was under. "I don't like this." She waved a hand to encompass what she was feeling, what had prompted the fight and this conversation.
"It's called jealousy Raven," He gave a quick disarming smile before continuing, "I should know, I've felt it often enough myself."
"Jealous? When?" She stared at him, stunned. She was an empath, if he had ever been jealous, she should have known.
He gave a short bark of laughter, "Every time Titans East comes this way and Speedy decides to flirt with you. Every time we are in public and some guy gets a view of you under your hood. I can't tell you how many times I have wanted to blacken an eye. Trust me; I am very familiar with that particular emotion." He took a chance and brushed a finger over her cheek.
She sighed, "It hurt," She paused and leaned into his hand as it cupped her cheek. "I knew…I know that you love me, but at that moment it felt like someone had ripped something vital away from me and I didn't know how to get it back."
"I'm so sorry Raven," His voice trembled a little as he looked into her damp eyes. "I would do anything to erase that moment."
She smiled at him, her ravaged emotions finally beginning to smooth out. "No, I'm sorry. I should have come to you instead of letting this fester and turn into what it did."
He pulled her fully into his arms, feeling her warm breath on his neck as she laid her head on his shoulder. Wondering what he had done to deserve a love so powerful that even after three years together it still made him catch his breath.
"Raven," He paused for a second, lifting his hand to smooth over her hair.
"Hmm?"
"Do you like roses or lilies?"
"Both I suppose," She leaned back and looked up at him, "What does that have to do with anything?"
He released her for a moment and reached into a compartment of his utility belt, bringing out a small velvet box. "I just thought it might be important in a minute." He smiled and held the box out to her.
"Robin," Exasperated and not quite understanding the hope in his eyes, "You know I don't wear jewelry." The rest of her comment stuttered to a halt when he opened the box up and she stared at the winking diamond solitaire.
"I know we aren't conventional, or even traditional." He knelt, "But some things are traditions are worth doing. Marry me Raven, please?"
"How long have you been carrying that in your belt?" She looked from the ring to him and back again.
"I always like to be prepared." He winked at her and slid it onto her finger.
"It fits," Surprised she stared at him, but made no move to take the ring off.
"Of course it does," He smiled again, "I was going to ask you at dinner last night, but well…"
"Stand up before you get a crick in your neck blunder boy." She felt dazzled by him.
"You haven't answered me yet." He came to his feet though.
"I'm still wearing the damned thing aren't I?" She arched a look in his direction, as if he were an idiot.
"I suppose you are."
He reached for her again and folded her into his arms. "Lilies I think." She replied quietly as their lips met in a soft kiss; an unbreakable promise for their future.