It was after eleven o'clock when Robin and Starfire finally entered the common room for breakfast. They came in wearing matching grins, and were extremely affectionate toward each other.
Beast Boy and Raven were lounging on the couch while Cyborg was watching tv. Raven was absently stroking Beast Boy's back while she read a book as he settled himself in her lap as a cat. His eyes were slit in contentment, a feline smile on his face as a purr rumbled in his chest.
But when Starfire and Robin entered the room, his eyes opened half way, then slowly opened the rest of way. He sat up and looked over at his teammates. Raven stopped her petting and looked down at him confused.
"What is it?" she whispered.
Beast Boy mewed and looked up at her, a puzzled expression on his face as he kept sniffing and glancing over at the couple by the kitchen counter.
He changed back into himself.
"Rae… they smell different."
"Different how?"
"I dunno," Beast Boy whined. "Just… different. Like… their scents are mixed…"
"Mixed?" Raven asked.
"Yeah… I can smell Robin on Star really strongly, and like, I can smell her on him… it really smells like they…" Beast Boy's eyes widened at the same time as Raven's.
"Do you think?" Raven wondered.
Beast Boy looked back over at the two, who were grinning and giving each other cute little pecks and kisses. They had been touching in some form or another since they arrived in the common room.
"Rae, I think so," he said with conviction.
"Oh Azar..." Raven suddenly remembered last night what she felt. Right before she had gone to sleep, she had flicked out her senses one last time to check on their emotions, to make sure everything was going all right. What she had received had been a hazy blur from both of them. Still an undercurrent of hurt, but it had been a sort of fuzzy passion… and now she realized just what she had sensed. Raven's cheeks turned red. How embarrassing…
She looked over at Starfire, who blushed profusely and giggled after Robin whispered something into her ear and gave her a rather cheeky grin.
Oh Azar.
--
Raven came into the common room, heading to the kitchen for an afternoon snack. She noticed Starfire was on the couch, absently watching tv by herself. Raven was amazed at that; Starfire and Robin had been in each other's sights the entire morning and most of the afternoon. She decided to catch Starfire before Robin came back.
"Starfire?"
Starfire looked up from the couch. "Yes?"
"Can I… talk to you for a minute?"
"Of course," she said, slightly confused at Raven's tone. She stretched out her long legs and stood up.
Raven studied Starfire with suspicion when she noticed that Starfire looked sort of stiff and had rubbed a hand over her stomach as she rose.
"Can we go to my room?" Raven asked.
"Okay," Starfire said, even more confused.
Once in the empath's room, Starfire waited for Raven to continue.
"So… how did last night go?" Raven asked, though she already knew.
Starfire's eyes went wide and she blushed. "Well… ah…" she squeaked.
Raven smirked. "I take it you two made up?"
"Yes, you could do the saying of that," Starfire said, tapping her index fingers together.
Raven went serious then. "Nothing… happened that you weren't comfortable with, right?"
"Oh! No, we are fine friend Raven."
"Are you in any pain?"
"Why would I be in pain?" Starfire asked shiftily.
Raven looked at her blandly and crossed her arms. "Uh huh…"
Starfire sighed. "A little," she admitted.
Raven's eyes narrowed. "He didn't force you or… persuade you into bed did he?" she asked fiercely.
"Raven!" Starfire exclaimed, aghast.
"I'm just making sure you're okay," Raven retorted. "You two had a very traumatic fight and I just want to make sure you didn't do something you regret because you were upset."
"We do not regret anything," Starfire said. "We talked it over beforehand."
Raven seemed to relax a bit. "Okay," she said. "Now, what about the pain. Is it because of what happened to you?"
Starfire looked down. "I think so. It did not hurt until this morning."
"I can heal you now, if you want. It would make you more comfortable."
"Okay," Starfire said, uncertainly.
Raven nodded toward her bed. "Go lie down, on your back."
Starfire looked apprehensive. "Will this hurt?"
"Maybe a little," Raven answered truthfully. "But nothing like the pain when it was damaged in the first place."
She went to rest on Raven's bed as Raven knelt down next to it.
"I'm going to place my hands on your stomach, is that okay?"
Starfire nodded.
Raven closed her eyes as her hands glowed blue.
She shook her head and opened one eye to glance at Starfire. "A little," she muttered. "Starfire, why didn't you tell me how much you were hurting?"
The other girl shrugged sheepishly. "I did not want to worry you…"
"No wonder you've been moving slowly all day," Raven sighed. "All right, I'm going to start healing the tissue."
Starfire closed her eyes and rested her hands on her chest. She breathed slowly, felt the warm tickle of Raven's powers starting to work. Then her eyes squinted when it started to get a little uncomfortable. She winced. She tried not to show it, hoping she wasn't hurting Raven's feelings, but she couldn't help but squirm a little.
"Hold on," Raven said soothingly. "I said it was bad Starfire, I'm only about half done."
"Okay," Starfire squeaked out.
Starfire balled her fists, her whole body stiff. Raven said she was half through, but as the minutes passed by she was getting more and more anxious.
Her breaths were short and her hands were clenched at her sides when Raven finally spoke.
"Just a bit more…a little… done."
Starfire breathed out a huge sigh and sat up.
Her eyes widened. "I do not feel any pain now."
"It's all healed," Raven smiled.
Starfire smiled too. "Thank you, friend Raven." She looked sad then. "I wish the pain of the past were as easy to erase as well."
Raven's smile faded. "I know."
Raven looked thoughtfully at Starfire's downcast face.
She placed a hand on Starfire's shoulder. "Maybe this will help… just a little." She went to her closet.
--
Beast Boy was sitting on the couch, loading up a videogame. Robin approached the sofa from behind, his arms crossed. Beast Boy all but ignored his leader, pressing start to play the boys' favorite racing game. His mouth was set in a straight line.
Robin held back a sigh.
"I know you're mad at me, and… I came to apologize to you."
Beast Boy said nothing as he selected his car and the racecourse.
"Okay, really mad," Robin muttered.
No acknowledgement from the jade skinned boy as he peeled from the start line and began his race.
"I said some things I shouldn't have. I was a real ass and I'm sorry."
There was a moment before Beast Boy paused the game and turned to look at Robin.
"Dude… you know, you snapped at me, I can take it. But what you did to Star?" He shook his head and turned back around. "That's unacceptable." He pushed start again.
Robin looked away and gripped the back of the sofa. "You're right. It was unacceptable."
Beast Boy snorted in concurrence.
"But, we had a long talk last night and… I can't tell you how sorry I feel for everything."
"Sure you 'talked'," Beast Boy muttered under his breath. "Is that what the kids are calling it these days?"
Robin's eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms again. "What?"
"Nothing," Beast Boy said quickly. "But I suppose if Starfire can forgive you for being the biggest jerk face on earth, then I guess so can I. Just don't expect me to use the same method she did," he snorted disdainfully.
"…what the hell do you mean by that?"
"Dude, despite what everyone thinks, I'm not an idiot. I have a fucking enhanced sense of smell."
Robin's hands started to slip from their crossed position.
"What are you saying?" Robin demanded.
"I'm saying I know what happened last night."
Robin looked angry. "It's none of your damn business, Beast Boy. That's between her and me."
"I can't turn off my sense of smell, sorry dude. And…" Beast Boy paused his game and stood up to face Robin. "You hurt her again," he said threateningly, "it will be between you and me."
Robin stared with a bitter frown at Beast Boy's hard face, unsure how to retort to that. He raised a hand to start laying into Beast Boy again that his and Starfire's private life was none of the changeling's business when he was struck with the realization that he was completely out of line.
It never should have to be Beast Boy defending Starfire's honor. Especially when the one Beast Boy was standing up to was him.
"You're not the only one who loves her, dude. She's like my sister, and if you think I'd just sit back and let you-"
Robin turned away from Beast Boy's rant and rubbed a hand against his forehead, his stoic resolve cracking.
"You know I would never… I never wanted to hurt her…"
Beast Boy's eyes flicked down for a moment, finally hearing the remorse he was looking for in his leader's voice. Beast Boy knew apologizing in the first place was hard for Robin to do, and he always kept his voice expressionless. Robin finally let his guard down, and it was enough for Beast Boy.
"I know you wouldn't, dude."
"I… really messed up. I'm sorry. If you aren't ready to forgive me, you don't have to," Robin said seriously. "What I did was wrong."
"It was," Beast Boy said evenly. "But like I said… Starfire forgave you, and if you're truly sorry then I can too."
"I really don't deserve forgiveness from either of you."
Beast Boy shrugged. "I don't mean to hold it over you man, but she had it bad. I went to see her right after you left. I've never seen anyone cry that hard."
Robin slumped against the couch, unable to say anything, but Beast Boy could see him start to brood.
"She's better now though, right? I mean… if… you guys made up, then everything's okay," he said hurriedly.
"It's not okay, Beast Boy…"
"No, dude…aw I'm sorry. I just… I was upset too. All the shock, and then you yelled… but I know you didn't mean to hurt her like that," Beast Boy said, seeing Robin start to spiral down from his previous good mood.
"Really… I can tell Starfire's really happy that you guys aren't fighting anymore."
"I fucked up really bad," Robin said, his face finally betraying how he was really feeling.
"Yeah, but… you guys made up," Beast Boy said, a small grin cracking onto his lips. "She um… she wouldn't have… made up with you if she didn't forgive you."
Robin was silent, mulling over what Beast Boy had said.
Beast Boy could see that anything else he said wouldn't help much, and knew that Robin was going to have to get over it on his own time.
"Wanna play?"
Robin stared at him for a moment, then realized this was Beast Boy's way of saying he truly was forgiven. A sad smile curved his lips.
"Sure."
Beast Boy tossed him a controller as Robin hopped over the back of the couch.
The changeling grinned. "It's so on like Donkey Kong."
--
Raven came back into the common room, wondering where Beast Boy had gotten to. She rolled her eyes when she saw he was engaged in a raucous competition with Robin, Cyborg watching eagerly.
"AWWW YEAH!"
Raven smirked as her boyfriend hopped up and down with excitement.
"SO kicking your ass, bird brain!"
"Not for long!" Robin yelled as his face became extremely determined, his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth in concentration. His fingers flied over the controls.
Cyborg could barely contain his excitement, the winner of this match was going to play him next.
To Robin's dismay however, Beast Boy's racecar sailed over the goal line before his.
The changeling crowed and jumped to stand on the sofa cushions, whooping a victory call as Robin crossed his arms grumpily and pouted.
"Move it, loooooser!" Cyborg said with a joking laugh as he ushered Robin out of his seat. "Gotta let old Cyborg beat the pants off green bean!"
"So on. I'm gonna send you home cryin' to yo momma, chrome dome!" Beast Boy taunted.
"Oh don't even get me started on yo momma, grass stain!"
Both Robin and Raven's faces went blank.
"Oh no," Raven moaned. "Not the 'yo momma' marathon…"
"That can go on for hours," Robin wilted.
"Oh yeah?! Yo momma so ugly, when she entered an ugly contest, they told her 'no professionals'!"
"Oh yeah?! Yo momma so fat, when she went to the movies she sat next to everyone!"
"Oh yeah?! Yo momma so old her social security number is one!"
"Oh yeah?! Yo momma so fat she's on both sides of the family!"
"Oh yeah?! Yo momma so ugly she threw a boomerang and it didn't come back!"
"OH YEAH?! Yo momma so-"
"ENOUGH!" Raven howled.
All three boys looked wide-eyed at Raven's outburst.
Her cheeks turned faintly pink when she realized that she had shouted that loud.
She coughed, embarrassed. "Just… play your stupid game," she muttered.
Cyborg and Beast Boy meekly turned around and silently started their match.
Raven huffily turned to Robin and pulled him toward the kitchen area.
"Have you seen Starfire?" Robin asked, glancing around the room. "Beast Boy said she went to talk to you."
"She did. She went to her room after I ah… gave her a few things."
Robin looked confused. "Gave her what?"
Raven tried not to smirk. "I'm sure she'll show you later." Then she got serious and pulled him closer. "I need to talk to you."
Robin looked puzzled. "What about?"
"Well, last night…"
Robin instantly looked guarded. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you too. I wanted to apologize for being, well as Star puts it, a 'hole of ass' before."
Raven nodded. "I understand more than you think. I um… well I kind of knew exactly how both of you were feeling, and I just wanted to ask if you were doing okay," she said, concerned.
"We're fine, Raven. We had a… long hard talk. But we worked things out."
"Yes… about the working things out…"
Robin narrowed his eyes at her.
"You didn't… persuade her to do anything, did you?" Raven asked matter of fact.
Robin's mouth dropped open. He glared at her. "How could you think I would even do something like that?"
Raven frowned and poked a finger at his chest. "She didn't coerce you into bed then, did she?" she asked briskly.
Robin's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "WHAT?! Raven!" he sputtered.
"You've been through an extremely traumatic experience and I just want to make sure everything that happened was completely mutual."
"But! It wasn't- Raven how could you- it wasn't like that!" Robin hissed.
"I just want to make sure that you didn't entice her, or she didn't persuade you if you weren't actually willing," Raven said calmly. "It does happen to boys too, you know."
Cyborg's arm blipped as a communication was coming through. He answered it absently, before sitting up straight excitedly when he saw the smiling face that was peering back at him.
"Aww, hey what's up girl? How you doin'?"
"Fine, Sparky. Just wonderin' what's goin' down at your place."
Starfire slipped into the common room unnoticed. She then glanced over with surprise when she heard yelling.
"That's just ridiculous!" Robin shouted. "Why can't everyone just stay out of my business? First Beast Boy, now you! Does everyone in the damn tower know Star and I had sex?! Should I inform the Titan Network next?!"
Beast Boy's eyes widened and Cyborg turned around to stare at his leader in shock. "What?!" Cyborg exclaimed.
"You can't exactly hide things from an empath and an animalistic nose," Raven said to Robin ruefully.
"Hey, what's going on?" Bumblebee's voice could be heard from Cyborg's arm. But he ignored Bumblebee and instead addressed his teammate.
"You and Starfire did the nasty last night?!" he exclaimed.
Robin threw up his hands, his face bright red. He hadn't noticed Starfire was present. She cast Cyborg an extremely confused look.
"Shut up, Cyborg!" he bellowed.
"Who did the nasty, Sparky?"
"Oh my God," Robin moaned, rubbing his hands over his face.
Cyborg grinned evilly then, looking at his arm. "Who do you think?"
Bumblebee stared back at him, then a huge grin broke out on her face.
"OH MY GOD!" she shrieked. She called behind her. "Hey! Arrow boy! Too bad for you, Starfire and Robin did the nasty!"
Robin wilted to the floor.
"Looks like you won't have to call the Titan Network," Raven said. She couldn't help the smirk on her lips. "You know how good news travels fast."
"This is all your fault," Robin said to her venomously.
"My fault?" Raven said. "I'm not the one who blurted it out all over the place. I recall it was someone else who shouted 'does everyone in the tower know Starfire and I had sex' loud enough for the whole world to hear."
Robin was about to retort to that when someone else spoke up.
"Robin?" Starfire's voice slid through the air.
Robin's face instantly went ashen.
"I do not understand… what does friend Cyborg mean by.... 'did the nasty'?"
"Ooooh God…" he moaned.
"I believed what we partook in last night was a beautiful expression of love, was it not?"
Robin furiously rubbed his hands over his face. "It was Star."
He ignored Beast Boy and Cyborg's simultaneous snorts.
Starfire then turned her large green eyes to them.
"I do not understand how you could refer to something so wonderful as 'nasty' friend Cyborg?"
Cyborg's grin melted off his face.
"I found it to be quite glorious. Has the experience been so unpleasant for you?"
It was Cyborg's turn to sputter.
"Yes, inquiring minds would like to know," Bumblebee's teasing voice was heard.
"You and friend Beast Boy have referred to many things as 'the nasty.' When I served my Tamaranian milk shakes everyone made noises and called it 'nasty.' However," Starfire mused, "Robin did not make those kinds of noises last night…"
Robin made a choking sound as Cyborg and Beast Boy looked rather uncomfortable, their faces red.
Starfire hid the grin that was threatening to break out on her face. "Could either of you then enlighten me as to why it is called 'the nasty'?"
She glanced at both of them, who couldn't look her in the eye. She heard snickering coming from Cyborg's arm.
"You boys turn such strange colors," she said, amused. "Well then, no one is willing to explain?"
She suddenly looked extremely devious. "Perhaps then Robin, you could show me."
A wicked smile curved her lips as she placed her hands on her hips and gazed over to the spot where Robin had previously been standing.
Raven looked down. Robin had sunk below the counter and was slumped in a mortified puddle on the floor.
His head popped up from the counter however as Starfire let her offer hang in the air, stunning the other two male Titans.
He cracked a grin. "You mean that?"
She responded with her own devilish grin.
Robin leapt over the bar and crossed to her with lightening speed. He took her arm and led her out of the living room, smirking over his shoulder.
"You know what? I don't care anymore. Make fun all you want, let the whole damn network know. But some of us are getting some."
He hurried a giggling Starfire out the door.
The three remaining Titans didn't move, all of them still in shock after what had just transpired.
"So… did they actually leave? To go do it?!"
Cyborg finally glanced down at his arm when he heard a male voice instead of a female one.
Five faces were peering back at him, two of them grinning, three of them looking rather dismayed and sulking.
"Sorry Mas y Menos… and… 'arrow boy,' she's taken. So go on wit ya' damn selves and get out of here! None of yo damn business," Cyborg grumbled.
Four faces scrambled away.
"Wait until Argent hears about this!" Bumblebee said gleefully.
--
Robin pulled a still giggling Starfire into her room.
He stopped dead in his tracks however when he took a look around. Starfire ran into his stationary back and her giggles subsided.
"Uh… Star?"
"Yes? Is there something wrong, Robin?"
"Where did all these come from?!"
"Oh! Friend Raven gave them to me. She said they would make me feel better. Also, some of them are mine; I just never put them up. Now I can!"
"Okay…"
Robin cautiously walked into the room, glancing around at Starfire's walls and scratching the back of his head.
"Do you not like them?" she asked worriedly.
"It's… ah…"
He hesitantly pulled her onto the bed, feeling slightly weirded out.
The smile was back on her face as she laid him down and took off his mask, rubbing her hand seductively over his chest. Robin smiled at her, but when she sat up, he got a view of the ceiling and sighed.
"Okay, this is not going to work. I can't have sex and every time I open my eyes get a good look at myself; you're gonna have to take them down."
Starfire pouted. "But…"
"It's killing the mood. I'm not that narcissistic!"
Starfire sighed. "Fine. I will remove them."
She floated up to the ceiling and pulled down Teen Scene's centerfold of Dick Grayson.
"Now if they all were of you…" he murmured.
"That could be arranged, Robin… if you would allow me to keep my posters of you in my room, I could decorate your room with posters of me," she purred.
"Of you… naked?"
Starfire huffed and whacked him with her pillow.
He laughed, knowing he was getting a rise out of her as she tackled him. He tickled and she squealed, and before he knew it his lips were firmly pressed against hers and he settled her back on the bed. His hands stretched out beside her and bumped into something soft and small.
He lifted up and pulled it out from under her pillow.
His eyebrow rose as he stared at it while Starfire looked sheepish.
"A Dick Grayson plushie?!"
"I like to do the hugging of him when you are working late," she giggled. "And now I do not have to feel guilty, because you are Dick Grayson!" she said happily, clapping her hands.
Robin tossed the plushie over the side of the bed and sighed with his chin in his hand.
--
In the following week, Raven noticed a few changes in her teammates. Robin and Starfire were inseparable, no doubt still emotionally recovering from their fight, and their method to do that seemed to be physical.
Raven was concerned however, because she noted that during the small moments when Starfire was actually not near him, Robin was quiet and brooding. She knew he especially was still recovering from the fight and the shock, and she expected it would take him a long time to truly forgive himself.
Cyborg was being sneaky and staying in his room a lot more often than usual. Whenever she passed his door she could hear him clicking away at his keyboard or talking in hushed tones to someone.
Beast Boy was affecting her the most. She wasn't sure just what was going on with him, and it unnerved her. One moment he would be fine, the next he would be jittery and excitable. Something was bothering him, and it seemed to trigger the moment Robin and Starfire came into the room. During these little spazz sessions he would either stay for a few minutes, then get up and leave Raven in his restless wake, or he'd attach himself to her like a leech, even going so far as to copping feels right in front of their friends. Raven was getting a little bewildered and she knew something was up with him. It was time to straighten things out.
Robin and Starfire were snuggling on the couch, watching Cyborg play a videogame when Beast Boy once again left the room in a strange huff.
Raven sensed him in his bedroom.
He didn't answer after she knocked on his door.
"Beast Boy?"
"Rae… I can't… see you right now."
"Uh, why?"
"Cause… just… leave me alone for awhile."
Raven frowned. She phased through his door carefully, seeing as the state he'd been in recently and… well she just wanted to make sure she wasn't intruding on any alone time.
She looked down at a pile of dirty laundry that reached her knees.
Beast Boy's room was always messy, but he claimed he knew where to find everything he needed. She had finally attributed the mess to packrat instincts, and his room did resemble something of an animal den.
She was relieved to find Beast Boy lying on his bed, staring at the bottom of the top bunk and doing nothing that could cause a potentially embarrassing scene. He scowled when he saw she had entered.
"I told you to stay out, Rae."
"Is that any way to treat your girlfriend?" she asked mildly. "What is going on with you? You've been acting really weird lately."
Beast Boy growled and rolled over towards the wall, turning his back to her.
"Wanna clue me in? Maybe I can help."
Beast Boy scoffed. "You can't help."
"Try me."
"Believe me, I would if I could."
Raven cocked her head at that answer. "What did you mean by that?"
"You don't want to know."
Raven's eyebrows rose. "Actually, pretty sure I do."
Beast Boy sighed for a few moments, seeing that Raven wasn't going to leave. Finally he spoke.
"It's fucking Rob and Star."
Now Raven was really confused.
"What's wrong with Robin and Starfire? They just made up; sure they've been a little annoying with all the kissing and stuff, but-"
"Not that. Well, kinda, but not that," he said gruffly.
"Well then what is it?"
"They're driving me nuts. I can't be in the same room, it just sets me off, and I don't want to…" he swallowed, "take it out on you."
"Sets you off how?" Raven asked, beginning to think she knew what he meant.
"Their pheromones are freaking suffocating. They've been going at it like fucking rabbits and I get all cloudy headed and it's crazy! It just gets me all… twitchy, and then I smell you and you smell soooo good, but I know you're not…uh…"
He sighed and rubbed his hands over his head.
"I don't like feeling this way, Rae."
Raven floated over to the side of his bed.
"Turn around and look at me," she said softly.
Beast Boy reluctantly turned.
"Look, Beast Boy, I understand… you don't have to be worried about me."
"Don't want to force you, babe."
"I know you'd never do that."
Beast Boy nodded.
"Is there… anything I can do to help you?" Raven asked.
He closed his eyes. "I'm not gonna say. It's putting pressure on you, and I would never do that."
"Beast Boy, we've known each other for a long time. I don't think I'm ready to… well you know, but if there's something else I can do…"
"Rae," he whined. "Don't offer cause when I'm like this I'm gonna take it."
"Then take it," she said.
"No," he said stubbornly.
"How long will Robin and Starfire bother you?"
Beast Boy frowned.
"If this will help you out, then I'm willing."
He shook his head.
She climbed onto his bottom bunk and pulled him in for a hug, cradling his head against her chest. Beast Boy sighed, sunk his face into her softness and breathed deeply.
"Oh God… Rae don't do this…"
"Don't do what?" she mumbled.
"This… I won't be able to control myself."
"I won't let you cross the line."
"You shouldn't have to protect yourself from me."
"But I'm doing this for you. Please, if it will help you…"
Beast Boy moaned into her chest and slid down, his lips trailing down her stomach.
Raven instantly felt a tingle streak through her that shot straight to nether regions.
"You… you want to do… um, that?"
"No, just… can't resist the way you smell…"
"Oh," she said, her voice coming out in a squeak.
"Rae," he said in a throaty moan, his eyes becoming glassy, his hands slowly feeling up and down her thighs.
'He wasn't kidding when he said this was affecting him,' Raven mused, noting the complete change from resistance to him practically burying his nose between her legs.
Afraid she was going to lose him completely she placed her hand under his chin and made him look up.
Beast Boy stared at her for a moment before she saw his face begin to clear.
"Oh… oh Rae," he murmured, "I'm sorry, I just… got lost…"
"It's okay Beast Boy, just… come up from down there."
"Kay…"
"Look," Raven sighed. "Next time you're feeling this way, I'll see what I can do. I just need to figure out what I can do for you. We needed to talk about this first, and now that I know, I can… prepare."
"Kay," he mumbled again, now seemingly a little embarrassed.
"Do you think you can handle coming back into the common room?"
"Are Rob and Star still there?"
Raven's eyes went white for a moment. "Yes."
"Then I better stay here."
--
Two days and Beast Boy hadn't gotten any better. Robin and Starfire still set him off, and his and Raven's status quo make out sessions didn't help much. Raven was nervous, she knew he needed more, but she was a little apprehensive. Letting Beast Boy in was letting someone get close to her in a way like no one ever had before. It was a little daunting to her, and she never liked feeling vulnerable.
The real thing that kept surfacing, and she kept shoving it back into the recesses of her mind, was the time she had almost slipped and said something very important to him when he had surprised her with his apology dinner on the rooftop. Those three little words she almost uttered had real relationship changing potential, and she had been sort of shaken at her almost admission ever since. It had inspired some rather deep meditation sessions. Did she really… love him? Raven bit her lip as she looked over at him, playing a game with Cyborg, Robin and Starfire mercifully out on a lunch date.
His tongue was sticking out, brows furrowed in concentration underneath that unruly hair, and that one adorable fang poked up over his lip. God he was cute.
Everyone was interrupted however when the Titan alarm rang out.
"Aw, dang it!" Beast Boy wailed. "I was so totally beating you!"
Raven jumped toward the crime scanner.
"It's Plasmus," she informed them with a lip curl. She hated fighting Plasmus. It was a guaranteed hosing off afterwards, and even then the smell of raw sewage and toxic waste lingered.
Their coms blipped and Robin's face appeared on screen.
"Report!" he barked. "I got the alert."
"It's Plasmus," Raven informed him. "He's on Vine, near the community hall."
"Starfire and I will be right there. I expect the rest of you pronto."
Cyborg and Beast Boy groaned.
"Come on, let's go," Raven said, directing them out the door.
Ten minutes later all Titans were facing off against Plasmus, who was creating great potholes in the ground and ripping up pipelines, drinking whatever nasty stuff was coursing through them.
"You should really go on a diet," Robin said, crinkling his nose in disgust.
"Yeah dude, that stuff can't be healthy," Beast Boy added.
Plasmus roared and stomped around, clumps of goo and acid splattering the Titans.
"Ugh," Raven said, delicately holding a corner of her cape, which had already gotten hit.
"Titans, go!" Robin shouted, and they immediately branched off, surrounding Plasmus.
The gelatinous villain began hurling balls of his body at the various heroes attempting to rein him in.
Cyborg blasted a hole through his middle, but he just closed it up. Starfire hurled her starbolts at him, singeing his dripping form, but it did little other than make him angry. He turned towards Starfire and began hurling a barrage of goo at her. Starfire shrieked and blasted as much as she could, but she mostly was hit full force. She fell to the street covered in the slop.
Robin raced over to her as Plasmus came lumbering toward the fallen Titan, apparently intending on finishing the job. Raven's energy surged through the ground and created a bubble around the villain before he could reach her teammates.
"Beast Boy!" she called. Beast Boy nodded fiercely and flew up over the bubble as a pterodactyl.
Raven counted to three, and just as she released her hold on Plasmus Beast Boy turned into a Tyrannosaurus Rex and slammed on top of the hapless gooey villain, sending a wave of spray coating everything in the near vicinity.
Raven's half lidded eyes peered out from under her hood. "Fantastic."
Beast Boy morphed back into himself and examined his lower half, which was solid Plasmus remains.
"He's reforming!" Robin called, shaking the debris off him as best he could as gelatinous globs were quivering and sliming towards each other.
"Raven! I've got an idea," Robin said. "Get him with your powers again. When I say 'now' release him."
Robin and Raven stood at the ready, watching as Plasmus reformed his disgusting self.
Once every little bit of slop was back on his body Raven recaptured him in the bubble of her ebony powers. Robin ran around him until he was in good position.
"Now!"
Raven released her hold and Robin tossed four ice discs into Plasmus. He instantly began to freeze solid into one large Plasmus popsicle.
Robin had learned over the years of fighting Plasmus that one ice disc just didn't cut it- Plasmus could break free of them. Four seemed to do the trick nicely.
"Gets easier to beat him every time," Robin commented, pulling a string of Plasmus remains from his hair.
"Yeah, but it doesn't ever get easier being slimed," Cyborg said, shaking some of the nasty purple goop off.
The Jump City Police arrived on scene to apprehend Plasmus and take him away to their special units jail.
Five Titans were now standing in the street, covered in remains of the battle.
"This. Is. Nasty," Raven said, glancing down at herself.
"I agree. This is the nasty, as friend Raven has said. I believe I am in need of a shower. It is a shame our lunch was interrupted," Starfire said to Robin.
Robin gave her a rueful grin. "Some other time, Star. I need a shower too."
Raven glanced at Beast Boy. He was trying his best not to look at Robin and Starfire. Honestly, with all of them smelling like whatever disgusting and abhorrent thing Plasmus ate for breakfast, she was surprised he could smell them at all.
"Aw hell no. You're not getting into the T-Car smelling like that. You'll mess up the leather. You can fly us home; the T-Car will get there on auto pilot," Cyborg admonished Beast Boy the minute he had his sights set on the car.
"I will fly Robin and myself home," Starfire said.
Beast Boy shuffled over to Cyborg and turned into a pterodactyl again. He squawked impatiently as he waited for Cyborg to set his baby on auto-pilot.
--
Once in the tower, each of the Titans went to hit the showers, Starfire and Robin suspiciously heading off together.
Beast Boy shook his head at them, rubbing a hand over his face.
Raven gave him a small reassuring smile before gliding off to her private bathroom.
There was a special hamper in each of the bathrooms to peel off uniforms that were damaged in battle. Raven slipped out of her cloak and her leotard and discarded them in the hamper, sealing it up tight so the smell wouldn't escape too badly. She started the shower water and shimmied out of her bra and undies.
She slipped into the nice hot shower and let the water course over her body, her legs mostly which had gotten the brunt of Plasmus's spray.
She shampooed and conditioned her hair, washed her body with a mesh sponge to make sure she was squeaky clean. She hated feeling dirty after a fight with Plasmus.
She was just about done when suddenly there was someone standing in front of her when there hadn't been someone there before.
Raven screeched in surprise and thumped against the shower wall.
There was Beast Boy, already dripping wet and standing in front of her without a stitch on.
Raven resisted the urge to drop her eyes as she crossed her arms protectively around herself.
"Beast Boy! What are you doing?!"
Beast Boy stepped up and pushed her into the wall father with his body, pulling her close and leaning in for a searing hot kiss.
Raven moaned into his mouth, heat pooling in her belly.
"Rae," he slurred. "I'm really sorry, but I… I have to do this. I can't take it anymore; it's too strong. I just need to hold you," he said softly. "You okay?"
"I… I'm okay. You startled me."
Beast Boy's mouth was close to her ear, and he was lightly panting. His fingers were grazing her hips and his eyes were glazed over again. She fought back the nervousness that had suddenly taken over her. To be fair she had offered to help him, so she figured she'd wait and see what he needed before she shooed him out of the shower and then severely reprimanded him for barging in while she was completely naked.
"Do you need something, Beast Boy? Can I… um…well…"
"I just need… sorry… but I need to tell you. I want you to know, that I love you…"
--
The lights in Titans Tower began to flicker.
Cyborg had polished himself up and was talking to someone through a webcam. He looked up at the lights, then at his flickering computer screen.
"Aw, no no no… no!"
"Sp-k-y, wh-t going o-"
"No! Hold on, I gotta see what's wrong!" Cyborg said to the person on the other end, who was trying to talk but the voice came through as garbled static. "I'll be back in a minute," he reassured the person. As soon as he had run out the door, the disruption stopped and the lights went back to normal.
"Huh," Cyborg said, confused, rubbing a hand over his head.
--
"Robin! Please, that tickles-" Starfire giggled and squirmed in his arms.
Robin was using his soapy mesh sponge to his utmost advantage in certain places on his girlfriend's body.
"Just making sure every part of you is clean, Star."
"I would shudder and never feel clean again if Plasmus had managed to ooze his way there," Starfire said. "I assure you it needs no special attention."
"I would have to kill Plasmus if he oozed his way there," Robin said seriously. "And then I'd be angry cause that could be considered cheating…"
"I would never do the cheating, Robin," Starfire said, pressing her soapy slippery body along his, kissing him sweetly.
"Mm, good," he answered against her lips.
Both looked up when the lights began to blink erratically.
Robin frowned. "What's going on?"
Starfire placed a finger on her chin and furrowed her brows. "Perhaps it is a power surge?"
"Guess so," Robin answered. He stood on his tiptoes and looked out the small window above the shower. "Looks like the city isn't being affected, just us."
"…"
"Star?"
"…"
"What are you doing?"
Starfire looked up and shook her head from a blank gaze. "Oh, hm, what?"
Robin stepped away from the window. "I said, what were you doing?"
Starfire's cheeks colored. "Oh, I am sorry! I um… was admiring your behind. It looks as though it was carved from your Earth stone 'marble'."
Robin sputtered for a second. "You were checking me out?!"
"Yes," Starfire admitted sheepishly.
"Where did you hear that phrase?!"
"Friend Bumblebee has used this phrase many times to describe the boys possessing 'teh hotness'."
"Boys? What boys?!"
"Any boy she finds attractive."
Robin groaned. "No more hanging out with Bumblebee for you," he muttered. "Were you two checking out boys at the mall?"
"She was checking out the boys. I was not," Starfire defended herself.
"Sure," Robin said. "I bet you were giggling right along with her."
"Oh look, the lights have stopped their blinking," she said loudly.
Robin rolled his eyes.
--
Raven went stiff in his arms, her whole body plunging in temperature; feeling like someone had suddenly turned the water on freezing cold. Then immediately after that she went hot, her toes and fingers burning.
"Beast… Beast Boy," she said shakily. Her cheeks went red when she realized that the lights had been blinking. She immediately tried to regain her composure.
"I mean it Rae," he said, his voice still thick and husky. "Always have… you mean so much to me..." he lifted his head. "You probably don't feel the same, and that's okay. I just wanted to tell you that."
"Oh…"
"I mean, I know it's like that… unquited… unre…"
"Unrequited?"
"Yeah, that. Unrequited love and all, I know you don't feel the same way, but God Rae… I had to tell you."
"No, no Beast Boy, it's okay." She took in a deep breath before saying slowly, "I… I love you too." She placed a trembling hand on his shoulder. "Really, I do," she said, sounding more confident.
He looked her in the eyes then, and for a moment the haze cleared slightly.
"You do? Really?"
She nodded, a small smile pulling at her lips. "I really do."
She saw a look of satisfaction wash over his face before his eyes went glassy again.
"Good," he mumbled. "Then trust me."
He reattached his lips to hers, his hands suddenly sliding over her skin everywhere. Raven leaned against the shower wall, the warm water cascading over them both. His lips left hers and went to her shoulder, kissing his way around her neck and up to her jaw, back down over her collarbone, lightly nipping.
One of his hands went to her lower back, pulling her hips closer to his, the other sliding down over her belly. She felt tingles streak through her when his soft skin pressed against hers.
Raven instantly grabbed his shoulders tightly and sucked in a breath, a sharp pulse rocking though her when his fingers gently brushed between her legs.
She felt his mouth smirk against her neck when his hand flitted back up her stomach, and wondered at why she felt slightly disappointed that his hands immediately went back to less erogenous zones.
He trailed pecks on her cheek, to her forehead, on her lips, before his hands cupped her cheeks and he looked her in the eyes.
He smiled and Raven felt herself melt.
He pecked her on the lips once more, and when Raven felt her feet on the ground again, she noticed Beast Boy's eyes were clear.
"I… I…" she breathed.
He chuckled. "I'm sorry I got carried away there."
"No, you didn't, I just… I…"
"You're speechless?" he said, amused. "That's a first."
She blushed.
His face lost the teasing look however, and then he rubbed her arms. "I'm sorry for interrupting your shower, babe. But I just had to be near you. And I… I didn't want to go too far."
"No, you handled yourself very well," Raven said, attempting to control her voice. She was still experiencing tingles from his fingers flitting where they never had before. "Our first sexual encounters shouldn't be in response to what Robin and Starfire are doing."
Beast Boy looked worried. "But, just now I couldn't control myself, I-"
"No, no," Raven said hastily. "I just meant, we shouldn't do more than we're ready for just because Robin and Starfire are already there."
"Well I agree with that," Beast Boy said thoughtfully. "I'm just embarrassed it happened in the first place." He looked down sadly.
"Beast Boy, you shouldn't be-" Raven had followed his gaze before she hastily looked back up over his head, her cheeks flaming.
"Oh," she squeaked.
Beast Boy looked back up, then grinned at Raven's red face.
"Forgot we were naked, didn't you?" he said good-naturedly.
"Uh huh," she nodded, her eyes riveted on the tile wall.
"Rae, it's okay, you can look," he chuckled.
She forced her eyes to his face, which looked extremely amused.
He leaned in. "Hope you don't mind, but I already did. Couldn't help myself," he whispered, his fangs poking through his smile. "You're amazing." His fingers brushed her hip.
That burning sensation was nipping at her fingers and toes again as he turned from her and stepped out of the shower with a cheeky grin. Raven scanned his backside and also couldn't help herself when her eyes widened and she really liked what she saw.
--
Robin sighed, his chin in his hand as he signed and dated forms.
Paperwork was his least favorite part of this job. It was tedious, boring, and required long periods of sitting down and being stationary. He never enlisted the help of the other Titans either because after several outlandish and ridiculous embellishments from Beast Boy and Cyborg on certain reports, he decided if he wanted something done right he had to do it himself.
The past month had been extremely busy with criminal activity. He and Starfire were working on mending their relationship after the fight, but the busyness didn't help their private time.
He adjusted the lamp on his desk to cascade more light onto the papers. It was probably well after midnight, but JCP had wanted the paperwork by tomorrow morning.
Suddenly Raven's frantic voice echoed in his head.
'Robin, you need to come right now.'
--
Her chest was heaving erratically, her breath heavy and catching at the lump in her throat.
She felt her arms stretched wide, her legs stretched wider as her back was pressed against coarse abrasive stone.
'No… no no no nooo…do not open your eyes…' As if denying herself sight would magically make the gnawing fear in her chest dissipate, as if the situation she would find herself in when she peeked would go away.
Her body went taut as she heard someone's desperate scream crack and trail off in a gurgle.
'It cannot be!'
Her eyes snapped open and stared horrified at a familiar ceiling.
She glanced down at her body, completely exposed, her skin dirty and dull, stained with blood.
She pulled at her restraints but quickly remembered why that was not a good idea as small blades sliced her wrists.
She was strapped down to the stone table. Her body trembled as she glanced around the room, viewing all of the various tools and apparatus in the space, knowing what each one was used for, the potential of pain each one could cause.
She hyperventilated as the door opened and a dark bulky figure entered, its eyes glowing red and it grinned as sludge dripped through its fanged mouth.
Her eyes were wide with fear, her entire body stiff as she watched it leer at her. The creature uttered taunts and caressed her body mockingly with its claws, making her stomach churn. It perused over the selection of tools, mused as though it couldn't make up its mind.
She stifled a cry, the knowledge of what was to come pushing her body into a fevered panic.
The creature made its selection and she immediately tossed her head from side to side in delirium, that one, he had never used that one before, the worst amount of pain imaginable, it would surely kill her…
Another figure… another figure was there, someone she hadn't noticed, hiding in the shadows of the room.
Then she could just make out two bright blue eyes, staring back at her.
Immediately her body responded, hope surged through her so fiercely she cried out, screamed for him as the creature moved closer with its chosen tool.
"ROBIN!"
She waited, waited for him to pounce on the creature, to attack it viciously and save her.
The blue eyes went darker.
"ROBIN!!"
The creature's claws scratched up her leg, leaving angry red furrows in their wake.
"Robin please!"
The eyes began to flicker and fade.
"ROBIN PLEASE! COME BACK!"
She screamed in agony as metal sliced into her flesh, blood splattering over her tormentor. The pain sent her soaring above her body, floating on a numb current, before she slammed back into the table.
--
Raven sat up with a bloodcurdling scream.
Her eyes were wide and her breaths strangled. Beast Boy jumped awake and sat up too, his arms instantly around her.
"Rae, Rae… what's wrong?" he asked shakily. "I've never heard you scream like that."
Raven gulped and pressed her hands around her throat before her hands frantically reached to check her thighs, which were devoid of the damage she experienced in the dream. She stared at her palms, which weren't covered in the dark red she was expecting.
"Night-… nightmare," she stuttered out, her heart beating wildly in her chest.
Beast Boy looked concerned, stroking her sweat-slicked hair away from her face. "What about?"
Raven's eyes widened as she closed her fists. "Starfire. I'll be back."
She phased right through the bed before the bewildered Beast Boy could say a word.
Raven appeared outside Starfire's room, already hearing the distressed moans of the girl within.
She phased through the wall and crossed to Starfire's bed, kneeling down and gently shaking her awake.
Starfire awoke with a similar scream, and immediately buried herself into Raven's waiting arms.
She sobbed desperately as Raven patted her back and hugged her tight.
Raven realized with slight surprise that Robin was not in bed yet. She located his soul signature in his office and immediately called to him in his mind.
'Robin, you need to come right now.'
'Raven? Why, what's up?'
'Starfire had a nightmare.'
She felt his presence start to move. Within a minute he was at her side.
Raven transferred the distraught girl to Robin, although she still squeezed Starfire's hand.
'Robin… I think you and she still have things to discuss,' she sent into his mind.
He looked confused. 'What do you mean?'
'Starfire's dream… she was in the Citadel. You were there.'
'But it's been weeks since that all came out. Why is she having a dream like this now?… I was there?'
'Yes. She was um… being tortured, and she was waiting for you to save her. She kept calling your name.'
Raven clenched her eyes shut painfully, before opening them again and staring at him intently. Robin looked extremely troubled by that, his mouth open slightly.
'She's been emotionally burying this for so long, Robin… she's only just begun dealing with it. As to why her mind made up your roll in the dream, I don't know. All you can do is talk to her. Give her some time, and some much needed reassurance. That's all we can do.'
He nodded. 'Okay…'
Starfire was beginning to calm down, rubbing her eyes with a sniffle. Robin snuggled her closer. Raven smiled as she stood and squeezed Starfire's hand one last time.
"Thank you Raven," Starfire said, her voice weepy.
"Anytime, Starfire," she said softly, walking to the wall and phasing through.
"Star?" Robin said quietly.
"Yes?" she asked, still sniffling.
He stroked her hair soothingly, and thought about how he could phrase his question without getting her upset.
"Raven said you had a nightmare. What about?"
"Oooh," she fretted, pawing her hands against his chest.
"Can you tell me?" he asked softly.
"I was in the Citadel," she finally said, her red eyes downcast. "I…" she began to get teary again. "You-…"
Robin shushed her then, and wrapped his arms around her tightly, kissing her on the temple.
"If you can't tell me, that's okay. Um… Raven informed me. I was there, in your dream, wasn't I?"
"Yes," she said sadly.
"Are you still frightened? Because you know Star, I would protect you from anyone who would try to hurt you," he said firmly. "I would never stand by and watch someone hurt you."
"I know this," she said tearfully.
He brushed her hair away from her face, wiped wet trails from her cheeks. "Then why does your subconscious think I would let something like that happen to you?" he asked gently.
Starfire looked down again. "I… it is just… our fight, and everything…"
"That fight happened a month ago, Starfire. And I've been here for you ever since, I realized just how wrong I was. You don't ever have to worry about me leaving you."
"Yes. It is just, we still have been going around each other feelings wise. We have done much of the connecting physically, but I still fear, that you might be angry with me at times..."
Robin hugged her tight. "I'm here for you emotionally too Star. Always."
She hugged him back.
"If you need to talk, talk to me. I won't ever push you away again. And if we fight, we'll always make up, okay?"
"Okay," she murmured into his chest.
He kissed the top of her head.
--
Raven surged up through the floor.
Beast Boy immediately looked up from where he sat on the edge of the bed. He got up as Raven hurried to him and practically fell into his arms. She hugged him tight and couldn't contain the sniffles.
Raven was discovering that Beast Boy was the most soothing person she had ever known, when he wanted to be. He lifted her up, all the while whispering to her, sitting down on the bed again with Raven cradled in his lap. He kissed her on the forehead and stroked her hair.
"Can you tell me about it, Rae?" he asked softly. "Is she okay?"
"It… it was horrible, Beast Boy," she whimpered between hiccups. "She's all right, but the dream… it was her imagination, but it's happened to her… not that specific dream, but what they did to her…Azar…"
"Rae… what…" he sighed. "I get all the implications… but… what…?"
Raven shook her head slowly.
"Maybe if you talk about it, it will help. That's what you always tell everyone else. You pretty much have first hand experience now, it's like it happened to you too, not just Star. Talk about it Rae. You need to."
"I…" Raven gulped. "It was bad, Beast Boy. So very bad," she finished in a whisper.
"That's why you need to talk about it," he said soothingly.
A tear trickled down Raven's cheek as she haltingly told him about the dream, and the real events it had been based from.
By the time she finished Beast Boy was hugging her so tight she could barely breathe, and tears were falling down his own cheeks. Not only was a girl he considered to be a sister hurt, but his girlfriend was affected also.
"I… I knew it was bad Rae," he finally spoke. "But I could never even imagine something like that had happened to her," he croaked.
"No," Raven said softly, shaking her head, her eyes far away. "You never would have thought."
"No wonder Robin reacted like he did," he said gravely.
Raven nodded again, burying her face into his neck.
--
The next morning, the Titans were lounging around the common room when a slight blipping sound clicked from the mainframe computer. Cyborg looked at it curiously and got up to check what was causing the radar to alert.
"Hmm, unidentified object over Jump's air space. Whatever it is it's no bigger than a human," he murmured. He pressed a combination of buttons and pulled up surveillance video.
An image of a boy flying over Jump City, looking very lost and confused, popped up on screen.
Starfire shot up from her seat and gasped audibly, the color draining from her face, looking like she had seen a ghost.
"Oh X'hal, it cannot be!"
"Star?" Cyborg asked curiously. "What's-" But before he could finish his sentence Starfire had zipped from the common room and was flying towards the city.
"Come on, let's go, there might be trouble," Robin exclaimed. "Raven, take us to her now."
Raven stood up and enveloped them in her cloak, hurtling them through portals to end up where Starfire had flown.
Enter mysterious guest number two!
Well okay. This chapter has been a long time coming. I'm sorry, I know I take incredibly long to update, but please remember I do have a lot of real life commitments that keep me pretty busy. I write when I can, and if this cliffhanger is any indication there's something big coming up. And hopefully to make up for it, I think this is the longest chapter I've published to date, or close to it.
And I also want to say a big thank you to all of you who read my story and keep coming back for more, and I read and appreciate every review. I know I don't always have time to reply to every review, but it doesn't mean that I don't appreciate each and every one of you.
Hope this new chapter was enjoyable, and until next chapter, take care everyone!