Hey guys! So excited to see more reviews! It gives me more ideas, and I'm glad people are actually reading this haha.
I really need to try to finish this though, I never thought it would take more than 8 episodes!

Well, here goes the next chapter!

09

Red X had to admit, he never really thought about the mage in any good way.

If someone would ever ask him about her, he would've just called her the spooky witch. She was pretty in her own way, but to him, she never stood out. Starfire's radiant beauty was always what caught his eyes first, and Raven, he thought, was outshined by her.

He never knew he'd feel this satisfied to see her come and go his apartment when she needed to be somewhere alone.

Red X was out of town for a few nights. He was on business, but he only took it to be away for a few days. After the roses, he wanted Raven to be wondering and thinking about him. He chuckled because the Raven he knew would probably scowl at the roses and look at it with skeptical eyes. He shook his head at the thought of her eyes lighting up at him. He couldn't really imagine the picture. After all, they really weren't at a good start. But at least they were somewhere because he noticed she visited his empty apartment quite often these days.

"You owe me an explanation, X."

His mood lifted incredibly at the growling voice. Red X was back in his own place, and there she was again. The scent of lavenders. He hid a smile and crooked his head at her.

"Intruding again, princess?"

"I'm not in the mood for your childish bullshit."

Indeed, she looked like she was ready to rip his head off. And Red X knew that she could if she really put her heart into it. But he also knew she would never do such a thing. Strange, with such extraordinary powers, she never used it to its full potential.

In the beginning, she was nothing more than an annoying member from an annoying wanna-be team run by a wanna-be leader to him. He squinted, trying to remember the first impression he had of her. He was more into haunting Robin. Red X still the face Robin had when he first saw him in the suit. The colors drained away, masked eyes clearly in disbelief. The others he really didn't remember. Beast boy was a green blur, Cyborg a tin man. Starfire was the only one who caught his eye that day and Raven? Just a shadow.

Of course, Red X did his research on the whole team carefully. He was an information thief, and getting a little background information on the team wasn't difficult at all. There wasn't much on Raven, and he just kept a mental note 'witch' on her.

Over the years he grew fond of humiliating the team and seeing Bird brain raging out every time he escaped was also one of the thrills he enjoyed. He liked flirting with Starfire, half of it because Robin's eyes would start burning whenever he did. Beast boy was a simpleton, even with his powerful shape-shifting ability, it was easy to outsmart him. Cyborg was a little more difficult, but not to the point where he couldn't handle it. Raven was just the quiet one with tricky powers and little-to-no emotions. He did have an annoying feeling, something told him that she wasn't really giving her best to capture him. Then he brushed it off, thinking that it's probably her personality. Maybe she never tries her best. She's just doing enough to be on the team.

Of course, being himself, he tried to flirt with her a couple of times. The only thing he received was a cold stare. That was no fun, so he just put another note 'party pooper' under her name.

The first shift of thoughts must've been when she first intruded into his apartment.

She was very protective of her leader, and possibly that was when Red X realized that she was like any other. She had emotions and even fell in love. It was so strange to see her in love. It was like seeing Batman smiling and holding a cotton candy in both of his hands.
She would come by once a while to threaten him whenever he taunted the bat boy too much. That way he learned that she was way more powerful than him, and that's when he started to keep a grip and lay low with her visits. Even until then though, he rather thought of Raven more like that person you never go along well with but must endure.

The day he saw her crying shook him from his very core.

Expressive she was, but she never showed too much of emotions in front of him. He caught her smiling or laughing next to her lover, but never on other occasions. Of course, she never cried.

Seeing her crying was like contradicting his beliefs. Like a strongly built fortress collapsing and being conquered. Or seeing Superman falling because of a bullet.
The tears were falling from her pale skin. It was like dew on silver pearls. Her eyes were even clearer than ever before, the watery eyes absorbed the dim lights and it was shining.

From that moment, it was like he was under a spell.

Red X knew nothing about relationships or chivalry. He was a thief. This time he was determined to steal something rather different. Probably one last thing he'll steal from Robin. He'll have to take it slow, he knew.

So he kissed her.

Of course, the fire alarm went off, and the water pipes exploded.