Hey everyone. I'm in a decent mood for once. Yes I watch Inuyasha by the way. Sorry for not answering earlier Raven's man. It's homecoming and over half my school went. But not me! I hate social events. Or maybe it's that I didn't bother to ask anyone? Who knows? However, I would like to welcome you to the last chapter of "Everlong". Only ten chapters... but I think that's enough. At least for this story. I'll have a rather long "Acknowledgments" chapter after this that I would love responses to. But don't forget to review this chapter as well! So... read on!

I bought Teen Titans yesterday! Just kidding! I still don't own it!

Chapter 10: Happy Birthday Robin

Raven's View

It seemed to take forever. The elevator must've been moving at minus ten miles per hour to be taking this long. Even Raven felt antsy. She could sense everyone nervously awaiting the arrival of the elevator, so when the doors opened, over half a dozen people let air out of their lungs at last. They had held their breath long enough. The birthday boy was here.

"I really didn't need a cake for my birthday Star, especially not one that could feed a dozen people!" Robin was saying loudly. He walked through the doors, a very large cake in his arms. Cyborg and Beast Boy had turned to face him, and were smiling widely. "Guys? Uh... what's going on?" Robin asked, seeing their looks. "Well... It is your birthday Robin so..." Starfire started. "SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled at once, jumping out of their hiding spots wearing big smiles. Robin jumped, and dropped the cake. Raven quickly used her powers to catch it before it smashed on the ground.

The Boy Wonder walked forward, staring around the room at everyone. "A-all of this? Just for my birthday?" He stammered. Cyborg jumped up, clapping Robin on the back hard. "Hey man, it's not everyday a guy turns sixteen," He said. "Yeah, and you deserve it! You've been leading us for over a year and we barely ever show our gratitude!" Beast Boy added. Robin beamed at them both, his shock obviously wearing off. Raven watched as everyone but her and Batman surrounded him. Loud compliments could be heard even across the room.

"I wasn't sure whether Robin would be happy about this," Raven said. "Why is that?" Batman questioned her. "Well he told us about a time he tried doing something like this for you and-" She began. Batman silenced her with a chuckle. "I don't enjoy surprises, not in my profession," He said. Raven smiled. "I agree," She said. The two of them walked over to join the group, Raven stepping back a little. Robin spotted Batman and quickly walked up to him.

"Bruce! I didn't think you ever went to parties," Robin said, shaking his mentor's hand. Raven watched the scene behind the others, enjoying the sight of Robin's happiness. He really did deserve to be happy, even if it wasn't with her. "Why?" Batman asked him. "After I tried to throw you one..." Robin said, smiling as he trailed off. Raven laughed quietly as Batman chuckled once again. She reluctantly walked away from the scene, glancing at Beast Boy, who gave her a nod. She gave one back, and then went to the counter.

Raven began arranging the gifts around on the table. Biggest on the bottom, smallest on the top. Wildebeest's package felt cold, almost wet, so Raven set it aside from the others. She had a feeling it was something edible. Raven glanced back at where the party was. Beast Boy had thrown on some music and began to dance with Starfire. Cyborg was close by, doing the robot oddly enough. She smiled, wanting to join them, to at least be near them, but she didn't feel up to it. She sat down in a chair, watching everyone laughing, eating, dancing. Just having fun.

Robin and Batman were still talking, sitting on the couch with Speedy, who had joined the conversation and had just started talking about Green Arrow. Raven continued her stare on the happy group of people. She tore her look away from the, and moved the cake onto the table, removing the lid and inhaling the chocolate smell. Taking out some pink icing, she put "Happy 16th Birthday Robin!" Then she laid out her cheese cake next to it. Finally, she put 16 red candles in each item, then stood back and admired her work.

Once again, with no activity to preoccupy her, Raven began to watch the others. She silently wondered if true happiness would ever be hers. Perhaps tonight was her night, or maybe not. She would find out soon enough. But it was Robin's time right now, not hers. So she stood up, and walked towards the real party.

Robin's View

He smiled widely as Bruce told about capturing the Joker the previous night. "He gets more sloppy with every bank job he does," Bruce said, leaning back. "The Joker? Sounds like a real push over," Speedy said. "Not always," Robin said. He looked up at a small cough and saw Raven standing there, her hood now pulled up. He could tell she was depressed.

"I think we should do cake and gifts before people get too into a partying mood," She said, motioning to the large group of dancing people. It seemed that every guy had gathered around Starfire, as she was the only girl out there. Wildebeest had busied himself with a plate of shrimp, eating each one without removing the hard tails. Robin cringed at the sight, but then nodded. He stood up, clapping his hands together loudly. Beast Boy turned the music down quickly. "Cake time?" He asked. Raven nodded at him, then floated over to the cakes, the guests quickly following.

He smiled at the cake, mouthing "Happy 16th Birthday Robin". He licked his lips uncontrollably as he looked at the cheese cake. "Who made this?" He asked, staring at Cyborg. The half human pointed at Raven. Robin stared at her blankly. "Thank you," He managed to say nervously. "You're welcome," She said. "We should probably light this," Beast Boy said. "Step back!" HotSpot said, walking closer to the cake. Everyone took a step back, and HotSpot shot out a jet of fire from his hands, igniting every candle on the cake. Then he stepped back to some sarcastic applause from Aqualad. "Thank you, thank you!" He said, smiling.

Robin laughed at them, and turned back towards the food. Bringing the cakes together, and mustering up a very large amount of air, Robin managed to blow out every candle. The group smiled and clapped as he finished. Robin took a deep breath, completely out of air. "We should open presents first," Beast Boy said, going and fetching a couple of boxes. Raven levitated the remaining packages over.

Robin sat at the table and grabbed a small box. "That is from us!" Lightning screeched loudly. Robin opened the box, and looked at a gold lighter. He lifted it up, flipping the top up and lighting it once. The flame lit up, and Robin read the inscription. It read, "Happy Birthday Boy Wonder". He looked up at the brothers, who were watching the flame closely. "Thank you," He said sincerely. "You are welcome Robin," Thunder said.

Next, he reached for a large garbage bag, which was cold. Wildebeest grunted. Opening it, Robin saw several packages of meat. As disgusting as it was, it sure made Robin crave a stake. "Thanks..." He said, laughing at everyone's expressions. Wildebeest gave another grunt as Robin shoved the bag aside.

Robin counted the remaining presents, and spotted a card. He opened it, read a quick joke, and saw that it was Aqualad's. "Is it just a card?" Robin questioned. The teen shoved his hands in his pockets, looking embarrassed. "No," Aqualad answered, and pulled out a crisp green bill. "Cash!" Robin said. The group laughed, Aqualad joining in weakly. "I couldn't think of anything!" He said as he handed Robin the money. "Thanks," Robin said, setting the money aside as well.

"I've got the most unique gift I guess," HotSpot said. He slammed some more money on the table, causing the group to roar with loud laughter. "Can't you people think of something original for once?" Robin joked at the two. HotSpot smiled. "I thought of it first, Aqualad stole my idea!" He said. "Did not!" "Did too!" They waged war for a few moments before calming down.

Speedy handed his gift to Robin, which the Boy Wonder opened quickly. There were several of Robin's exploding disks inside. "Did you make me my own weapon?" Robin asked his rival friend. Speedy grinned. "They're heat seekers. If you press the R in the center of the disk, it will turn into a heat seeker. Very useful. Remember my arrows?" Speedy said. Robin nodded. "Should be fun," He said.

Robin grabbed the bag next to a large very large box. Opening it, he could see several joke items on the inside. He looked up at Beast Boy, who was laughing. "You know you wanna be more like me!" Beast Boy said. Robin laughed. "Of course," Robin said sarcastically. The group laughed once again. Robin closed the bag tightly, chuckling at his friend.

Cyborg heaved a box over to Robin. He tore the lid off, and looked inside at a brand new computer. "Wow!" He said loudly. "Used my own two hands and the best parts money can buy!" Cyborg said to him. "Should make our research way easier," Robin said. Then he picked up something at the bottom. "Doom 3!" Robin said, staring at the amazing game. Cyborg laughed. "You have to let me play that!" He said. "And me!" Beast Boy piped up.

Robin carefully placed the computer box on the ground, and picked up a small black box. Opening it, he saw a dark black gem, in the shape of a triangle. It was hooked onto a silver chain, big enough to go around Robin's neck. "It is a gem from Klardor. That is a moon near Tamaran. My caretaker sent it here," Starfire said. "It's awesome!" Robin said, staring at the dark gem. He carefully put it back in the box, hugging Starfire. "Thank you," He said.

Robin turned to Bruce, who remained silent. "Bring it in," He finally said. Cyborg walked away into his room. He quickly came back, pushing along... "A New R-Cycle!" Robin yelled. Cyborg smiled as he handed off the bike, which Robin quickly climbed onto. "Alfred and I made it together," Bruce said. "It's great! Even better than the last one!" Robin said.

He climbed off after a few moments, facing Bruce. "Thank you... thank you all," He said as he looked around the room. "Now let's go on with the party!" Robin yelled. Beast Boy quickly flipped the music back on. Robin walked over to the cakes, and cut himself a piece as the others began to dance. He started to eat a slice of cheese cake, and stared around at his friends. Everyone but Cyborg, Wildebeest, and Bruce were dancing. Wildebeest was also eating cake, while Bruce and Cyborg talked about technology. He smiled, his birthday was great.

But as Robin stared around the room, he realized that something was missing. 'Or someone' He added as an afterthought. "Raven," He whispered. He couldn't remember seeing her leave. She had been there for the gifts. 'Didn't even give me one' He realized with anger. He marched up to Beast Boy, who was dancing closely with Starfire. "Where is she?" He asked. "Huh?" Beast Boy replied. "Where did Raven go?" Robin asked, more firmly this time. "Go check her room or something," Beast Boy suggested, then turned back to dance with Starfire.

Robin stalked off, heading directly to Raven's room. He didn't even bother to knock, but instead just slammed the door aside. "Why aren't- Raven?" Robin asked as he saw that Raven wasn't in her room. The only thing out of the ordinary was a long purple bag on her bed. Robin didn't bother to inspect it. He turned around, looking up and down the halls in the hope that he would see Raven. No such luck.

Why had she skipped out on the party? Was she trying to be mean to him? Perhaps it was something else, maybe she just didn't want to be around him. It hurt him to see her now, maybe it hurt her too. They had barely talked over the past few days, and it was agonizing. He was hoping to ask her out but, until today, she had been with Starfire and Beast Boy non stop. Probably planning his party.

Robin slowly walked back towards his room, the party growing louder and louder as he neared. He abruptly turned into his room, closing the door quietly behind him. He tossed himself onto his bed, staring into the nothingness around him. He let out a long, deep breath, trying to relax himself. It wasn't easy. "I've been waiting for you".

Robin sat up as fast as he could, staring at the wall. Raven stepped out of the shadows slowly, smiling slightly at him. "Y-you look amazing," He said truthfully. Robin looked Raven up and down. He had never seen her like this. She was wearing a long dark red dress. It was strapless, and mildly low cut. The dress went down to nearly the floor, stopping slightly above her ankles so you could see her matching high heel shoes. Robin looked up at her face, which looked slightly more pale than usual. Her lips looked glossy, and sparkled slightly. Raven had tied her hair back, putting it into a small pony tail. To top it off, there was a beautiful necklace around her neck, a dark black gem hanging down.

"That's the necklace that Starfire gave me!" Robin yelled, surprised. "She gave me one as well. She wanted us to always be connected," Raven said. Robin felt his shock slowly wearing off, and his anger kicked in. "Why didn't you get me anything?" He asked her, trying to not let his emotions take over. "I did," Raven answered, inching closer to Robin, who had begun to lean back on his bed, propping himself with his elbows. "Then what is it?" He asked, anxious to hear the answer. Raven leaned forward and whispered to him, "Me".

Robin stared at her in shock as she backed up, stopping an inch away. She put her hand behind his head, and pulled him into a tender kiss. He accepted it, putting his arms around her and pulling her forward. Raven broke the kiss, spread her legs, and then climbed on top of Robin, kissing him once again as she did so. He made a small noise of pleasure as she pressed her self against him.

They laid down together, Robin turning them both onto their sides. He stared into her violet colored eyes, then reached up to his mask, pulling it off carefully. It was like taking away a piece of himself, but it was all worth it to see Raven's look. "Your eyes are beautiful," She said. He thought of his own blue eyes, thinking nothing spectacular of them. "So are you," He said.

Robin pulled himself closer to Raven, placing one arm around her waist and one on her face. He leaned forward, closing his eyes as he neared. Their lips meant, and Robin felt his heart flutter briefly. He felt Raven's hand grasp his own as they were kissing, and smiled on the inside at what he was going through. Backing away reluctantly, he kissed her on the cheek and decided to say what he had tried so many nights ago. "I love you," He whispered. Raven smiled at him, squeezing his hand lightly. "I love you too," She said. They kissed one more time, then sat up.

"What happened with you and Beast Boy?" He suddenly asked. "We broke up after your little scuffle, and Starfire comforted him. Didn't you notice they've been a little close?" Raven asked, smiling slightly. "Oh! That's why they were dancing like that..." Robin said, laughing about his friends. He wrapped his arms around Raven, feeling happier than he ever had in his entire life. He was with her. After so many long nights they were together. He stood up, lending his hand to Raven to pull herself up. "Back to the party," Was all he said. Raven stopped him from moving. "Happy Birthday Robin," She said. Robin smiled in return, then turned to the door.

They walked to the door, looking at each other as Robin reached to open it. "How long do you think we will be with each other?" Raven asked him, looking worried. Robin thought for a moment, looking for something to sum it up. "Everlong..." He said quietly. Raven smiled at that, and kissed Robin one more time. The two opened the door, holding hands tightly as they walked out together. It had finally happened. They were together at last...

End

Yay! Finally finished... Hope you all enjoyed the ending! Tell me if I screwed up on anything. I'm sorry it wasn't the longest story in the world, but this was the original length that I planned. I will have some acknowledgments next chapter, with thank yous, previews, questions, etc. I would love it if you responded to my next chapter, as well as reviewed this one. Please review...

Next Chapter: Er... acknowledgments! Will you respond?

Over and out

-SinFire