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A Perfect Circle

Raven didn't know why she had bothered to come. The others, the other Titans, had all paused and stared hard at her, none of their voices repeating what their eyes were screaming.

You're the reason we've been dragged to this.

Somewhere, in the background there was a petite cough; a delicate reminder to continue with the ceremony. But Raven didn't care about that. She didn't care if the whole church fell down around them now. It was already crumbling around the flowers that Starfire had gone through so much pain to organize. The stained glass windows were cracked, the seats rough.

She wished so badly for a hole to emerge beneath her feet, but no such hole came. Instead, Raven glanced up carelessly to see masked eyes bore into her, telling her nothing yet bringing bile to her throat. Quickly the gothic looked away. As the priest droned on she wondered how things could have become such a sorry state. It had only been the odd glance, a chance brush against an arm, an accidental touching of the face, the hair. Then came the kisses. They'd been so far apart, then so close, him tangled up in her cloak, she in his gloves. Slow and soft it was, gentle, almost hesitant. Hushed whispers, midnight meetings in the training room. Then it became fast, harder, harder than Raven would have ever guessed. For a while she believed that that was all to who they were. Then he'd do strange things: sit with her at the table, clean the dishes with her. Mediate, practice with. Teach her to use the bo-staff. He was acting the friend in front of the others, the leader, then behind closed doors, dark corners, the lover.

And now this. She knew this would lead to only heartache. She knew, right from the moment he whispered those words, those three little words that held more power in them then her chant combined, that all roads from there would be pain. For him, for her. They'd shared things others couldn't imagine and now it seemed he was feeling them. For her. For them. The simple idea of them.

Raven would be his death. She had seen it, felt it. His last breath telling her everything she didn't want and nothing she did. His blood, pooling until it became every red thing she saw. His death would make a murder of her. She would kill every person she saw enjoying the things he couldn't in her mind, until the world was full of just him. Pale reflections of him.

It was for their daughter they did this, this now. Raven's baby with eyes that were almost as hooded as a mask. It was now that the Titans would lose a leader, their leader, the best leader. It was now they were condemning him, Robin, to a thankless life by her side.

Fingers curled with her own, and her cheeks flared up. He wanted this. However unexpected, whatever he lost, he wanted her, Raven. And their daughter. Their tiny, unexpected daughter. She knew he would have wanted to keep the team, but the rules were simple.

Married couples are too high a risk factor man, and I'm sorry but you and Rae are gonna have to leave if ya do.

The others had begged: please, please, stay. We'll look after Raven and the baby. Beast Boy will set up a nursery in Terra's old room, you two can share a bed, just please, stay with the team, we need you.

But Robin wanted her more.

We'll get there, he'd say, and smile that beautiful smile of his, the one Raven knew that their daughter had inherited. We'll get there.

But he was wrong. She would kill him, slowly. Year by year would slip away and he'd regret choosing her.

She had to leave. Leave him. Let him grow into the man, the hero, he was meant to be.

"-this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Raven blinked as her vow came, and turning her head away fromRobin, slightly she whispered, "Yes"